# Accident 19951029039209A: Piper J3C*, Rochester, IN, October 29, 1995

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 29, 1995, 11:15 local time
- Place: Rochester, IN
- Airport: Fulton County Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.0595° N, 86.1893° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.0595&lon=-86.1893&mi=10
- Aircraft: N88037, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N88037) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper J-3C (registry code 7100503, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j-3c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER J3C*
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,336 total, 47 in this make and model, 34 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI96LA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96LA022) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19951029039209A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

MADE CLIMBING TURN AFTER TAKEOFF. WIND GUST INVERTED J3. STALLED. CRASHED. WITNESSES BELEIVED PILOT SHOWING OFF. (-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE TOOK OFF FROM RUNWAY 29, CLIMBED OUT APPROX. 200 FT AGL, AND STARTED A RIGHT TURN. THEN A GUST OF WIND INVERTED HIS AIRCRAFT, STALLED, AND CRASHED. FOUR WITNESSES STATE THEY OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT MAKE A RIGHT TURN AT ABOUT 100 FT. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT THE RIGHT TURN WASMADE AT 50 FT. ONE WITNESS DEPICTED THE AIRCRAFT AS TURNING ONTO RUNWAY AHEAD OF HIS PLANNED TAKE OFF ROUTE AND THE AIRCRAFT USED ONLY A PORTION OF THE RUNWAY FROM THE TAXI WAY TO THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE WITNESSES WOULD SEEM TO INDICATE THE PILOT WAS SHOWING OFF TO THE OTHER PILOTS AND SPECTATORS IN THE AREA. THE INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE REVEALED N88037 SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING, FUSELAGE, LANDING GEAR AND ENGINE. ALTHOUGH MANY MAINTENANCE DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND, NONE COULD BE DETERMINED TO BE A CONTRIBUTING CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT. THE PILOT SUSTAINED A COMPOUND FRACTURE OF HIS RIGHT LEG AND DAMAGE TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH VERTEBRAE. HE REMAINED HOSPITALIZED FOR TWO WEEKS AND RECOVERY IS EXPECTED T                                     O BE SIX MONTHS TO ONE YEAR. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI96LA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96LA022), Oct 29, 1995: Piper J-3C (N88037), Rochester, IN, destroyed. Probable cause: failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed after takeoff, which resulted in a stall. A factor relating to the accident was: the gusty wind condition.

## Other reports on N88037 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19830218004729A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830218004729A), Feb 18, 1983: Piper J3C* (N88037), Stockbridge, GA, Substantial damage. Crash occurred during emergency landing after engine quit shortly after takeoff.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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