Piper J3C-65 accident near Bisbee, Arizona, April 8, 2008
On April 8, 2008 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N3228N, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Bisbee, Arizona (Bisbee Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to obtain/maintain sufficient airspeed after takeoff, which resulted in a stall/mush condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2008 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bisbee, Arizona · Bisbee Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N3228N · registry record · serial 22420
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed 5 or 6 touch-and-go landings. He said that on the last one about 50 feet above ground level after takeoff, "...the airplane began to sink and we landed off field straight ahead hitting some brush." The airplane's right wing tip was substantially damaged as a result of impacting a tree during the landing roll. The pilot reported that calm winds prevailed at the time of the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-8F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P04 Bisbee AZ
- Destination: P04 Bisbee AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 2,650 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.