# Accident 19970907048029A: Piper J3C65, Jordan, MT, September 7, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 7, 1997, 17:12 local time
- Place: Jordan, MT
- Damage: Destroyed
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 47.3804° N, 106.8102° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.3804&lon=-106.8102&mi=10
- Aircraft: N98833, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N98833) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper J3C-65 (registry code 7100510, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3c-65) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental A&C65 series (registry code 17003, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER J3C65
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA97LA204](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97LA204) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970907048029A

## Narrative

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

(-16) ON SEPTEMBER 7, 1997, AT 1712 LOCAL TIME, N98833, A PA-J3-C65, OWNED AND OPERATED BY JAMES T. HENTGES DEPARTED A PRIVATE FARM NORTH EAST OF JORDAN, MONTANA. ACCORDING TO NUMEROUS WITNESSES MR. HENTGES BUZZED OVER A CAR AND CLIMBED APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET. AT THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO ENTER A SPIN AND IMPACTED THE GROUND SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED ON IMPACT AND MR. HENTGES AND HIS REAR SEAT PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. INVESTIGATION HAS REVEALED THAT MR. HENTGES HELD NO PILOT CERTIFICATE OR A VALID MEDICAL CERTIFICATE.

## 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 SEA97LA204](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97LA204), Sep 7, 1997: Piper J-3 (N98833), Jordan, MT, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: 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).

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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