Piper J3C-65 accident near Medford, Oregon, June 6, 1995
On June 6, 1995 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Piper J3C-65, registered N28087, was substantially damaged in an accident near Medford, Oregon. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN UNRELIABLE FUEL QUANTITY GAGE AND AN INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT. THE TALL VEGETATION IN THE LANDING AREA WAS A FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 1995 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Medford, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C-65 · all J3C-65s on the register
- Registration
- N28087 · no longer on the register · serial 4568
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD TAKEN OFF WITH THE NOSE FUEL TANK FULL, HOWEVER, AFTER 15 MINUTES OF FLIGHT, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE FUEL FLOAT INDICATOR READ ONE-THIRD OF A TANK. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE INDICATOR READ EMPTY. THE PILOT EXECUTED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL IN TALL ALFALFA, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. DURING AN INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM, IT WAS FOUND THAT A WIRE WAS BENT APPROXIMATELY FOUR INCHES ABOVE THE FLOAT AND WAS CREATING A DRAG THROUGH THE CAP. THIS BENT WIRE CREATED AN ERRONEOUS FUEL QUANTITY INDICATION WHEN THE FUEL QUANTITY WAS ACTUALLY LESS.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: White City OR at 5:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from MFR, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.