# NTSB ANC25FA079: Piper J3C-65, N5050R, Dillingham, AK, July 25, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Field · Preliminary report
- Date: July 25, 2025, 09:16 local (17:16 UTC)
- Place: Dillingham, AK
- Coordinates: 59.03856, -158.51182
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=59.0386&lon=-158.5118&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office
- Parties: FAA FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200633
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC25FA079
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200633/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25FA079

## Preliminary report

On July 25, 2025, about 0916 Alaska daylight time, a Piper J3C-65 airplane, N5050R, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Dillingham, Alaska. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to witnesses, shortly after performing a touch-and-go landing on the gravel surface adjacent to Runway 19 at the Dillingham Airport, as the airplane climbed to an altitude of about 200 ft above the runway, the engine experienced a momentary loss of power, followed by an engine restart. The nose of the airplane then pitched up, slowed, and the left wing stalled, resulting in an uncontrolled, nose-down, vertical descent. During the descent, the airplane engine reportedly experienced another loss of power. The airplane impacted the runway approximately 680 feet northeast of the departure end of Runway 19 and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. (See figure 1) Figure 1. Accident site location on the Dillingham Airport. A witness captured a portion of the accident sequence on a cell phone video. See figures 2A and 2B. Figure 2A. Accident airplane on initial climb from Runway 19 (Provided by Alaska State Troopers) Figure 2B. Accident airplane during the uncontrolled descent (Provided by Alaska State Troopers) The wreckage has been moved to a secure location and a detailed NTSB examination is pending.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Initial climb: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper J3C-65, 21 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=7100510), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N5050R](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5050R), registered now, S/N 15301, built 1945 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER J3C-65
- Registry model: [Piper J3C-65](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3c-65) (registry code 7100510) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental A&C65 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (registry code 17003, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 15301
- Year built: 1945
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: DLG, Dillingham Airport, runway 19, 6,400 × 150 ft, asphalt

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature: 52 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Icing: Unknown
- Turbulence: Unknown
- Observed at: PADL, 1 nm away
- METAR: PADL 251656Z COR 29004KT 10SM OVC060 11/09 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP179 T01110089 $

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250725009629A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250725009629A), Jul 25, 2025: Piper J3C-65, Dillingham, AK, Substantial damage, 1 fatal. Pilot doing touch and goes. Departed runway 19 on second touch and go, engine quit at approximitley 200 feet AGL, restarted momentarily, aircraft stalled and…

## Other investigations on N5050R (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 ANC07CA107](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC07CA107), Sep 23, 2007: Piper J3 (N5050R), Tyonek, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff, which resulted in an encounter with soft terrain and a loss of control during the takeoff roll.

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.

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