Piper J-3 accident near Newberg, Oregon, March 7, 1988
On March 7, 1988 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper J-3, registered N98028, was destroyed in an accident near Newberg, Oregon (Sportsman Airpark 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 1988 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Newberg, Oregon · Sportsman Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-3 · all J-3s on the register
- Registration
- N98028 · registry record · serial 18176
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN FOR OVER FIVE YEARS AND WAS DOING MULTIPLE TOUCH AND GOES IN ORDER TO PREPARE FOR HIS BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW. WHILE ON A LANDING ROLLOUT THE ENGINE CEASED OPERATING. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND BEGAN HAND PROPPING THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE STARTED AND THE AIRCRAFT CROSSED THE RUNWAY STRIKING AN AIRCRAFT HANGAR WHICH CONTAINED AN AIRCRAFT. BOTH THE AIRCRAFT IN THE HANGAR AND THE HANGAR WERE DAMAGED. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST A FIRE ENSUED TOTALLY DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT. THE PLT FAILED TO FILE AN ACC REPORT.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Newberg OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°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 SEA88LA075.