Piper J3F accident near Westerly, Rhode Island, December 26, 1995
On December 26, 1995 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper J3F, registered N28148, was substantially damaged in an accident near Westerly, Rhode Island (Westerly State airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind condition, which subsequently resulted in the aircraft nosing over. The gusty crosswind condition was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 1995 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Westerly, Rhode Island · Westerly State
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3F · all J3Fs on the register
- Registration
- N28148 · registry record · serial 4615
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he landed on runway 32, rolled out to the intersection of runway 7/25, and made a left turn onto a taxiway. He reported that as he entered the taxiway, 'the wind caught the right wing, lifting the wing into the air.' The pilot reported he corrected the situation and put the airplane back on the ground. According to him, another gust of wind caught the tail and flipped the airplane over onto its back. The reported wind condition was 320 degrees at 15 knots with gusts to 20 knots. The pilot reported the accident could have been prevented by more accurately anticipating the wind gust factor as well as the required control input to compensate for constantly changing factors.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,775 hours in all; 63 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 1,521 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,050 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 1995; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-8F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WST at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC96LA043.