Piper J-3 accident near Jordan, Montana, September 7, 1997
On September 7, 1997 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Piper J-3, registered N98833, was destroyed in an accident near Jordan, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate remedial action during an inadvertent stall/spin entry. Factors include buzzing, a rapid pull-up, and failure to maintain proper airspeed (Vs).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 1997 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Jordan, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-3 · all J-3s on the register
- Registration
- N98833 · registry record · serial 19082
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The person who was flying the aircraft had been giving rides to some of the individuals who had gathered at a ranch for a horse sale. When he gave these rides, he took off from a field near where the sale was taking place, and then would make a number of low passes which concluded with steep pull-ups. On the accident flight, he made a low pass, pulled up steeply, and appeared to be initiating a turn near the top of his pull-up. As the aircraft slowed at the top of the pull-up, it entered a spin from which the 'pilot' did not recover. Witnesses reported that the individual flying the aircraft had told a number of persons present at the sale that he did not possess an FAA pilot's certificate. A search of FAA records confirmed that he was not a certificated pilot.
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
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.