# Accident 19970728019639A: Piper J3C65, Bullhead City, AZ, July 28, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 28, 1997, 18:30 local time
- Place: Bullhead City, AZ
- Airport: Laughlin
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.1478° N, 114.5683° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Bullhead City, AZ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1478&lon=-114.5683&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3339N, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3339N-2015-05-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper J3C-65 (registry code 7100510, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3c-65) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental C85 series (registry code 17008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c85-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER J3C65
- Reported engine: CONT C8512
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 1,386 total, 234 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX97FA259](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97FA259) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970728019639A

## Narrative

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

FLOATPLANE COLLIDED WITH RIVER DURING MANUEVERING LOW ALTITUDE.

## 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 LAX97FA259](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97FA259), Jul 28, 1997: Piper J3C-85 (N3339N), Bullhead City, AZ, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: improper judgement of the pilot by intentionally performing low level maneuvers, and his misjudgment of a level-off over water.

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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