# Accident 19990717009219A: Piper J3C65, Maple Lake, MN, July 17, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 17, 1999, 17:23 local time
- Place: Maple Lake, MN
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.2301° N, 94.0004° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.2301&lon=-94.0004&mi=10
- Aircraft: N88593, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N88593) (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
- Reported engine: CONT C908F
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 400 total, 300 in this make and model, 8 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI99LA235](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA235) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990717009219A

## Narrative

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

ACFT DEPARTED MAPLE LAKE, MN, ON FLOATS, LIFTED OFF THE WATER THEN NOSED INTO THE LAKE. (.19)ON JULY 17, 1999, AT 1723 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME,A PIPER J-3C, N88593, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN THE FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE WATER DURING THE TAKEOFF CLIMB.  THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.  THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS DEPARTING FROM MAPLE LAKE, MINNESOTA, ON A LOCAL FLIGHT.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDTIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             (.4)THE FLOAT PLANE WAS FLOWN FROM ONE LAKE TO ANOTHER WHERE THE PILOT PICKED UP A PASSENGER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE SECOND TAKE OFF, HE HAD PITCH PROBLEMS DURING THE CLIMB AND THAT THE NOSE ALWAYS WANTED TO PITCH UP.  AT APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 100 FEET, THE AIRPLANE STARTED TURNING TO THE LEFT AND THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN, FOLLOWED BY A CRASH IN THE LAKE.  THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT DO A WEIGHT AND BALANCE OR A PERFORMANCE CALCULATION PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND WITH THE ELEVATOR TRIM IN THE FULL NOSE DOWN POSITION.  THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE OF THE AIRPLANE DATED MAY 12, 1973, RECORDED THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE AS 1,294 POUNDS.  THE APPROXIMATE WEIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT TOTALED 1420 POUNDS.

## 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 CHI99LA235](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA235), Jul 17, 1999: Piper J-3C (N88593), Maple Lake, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight planning that resulted in exceeding the maximum gross weight of the airplane and the subsequent inadvertent aerodynamic stall.

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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