- Date
- April 25, 1985, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sulphur, LA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3475KPiper J-3C-65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850425014359A
- Case key
- 21735
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated he had taken off to the south into the wind. He made a turn to the west to clear trees. At about 150 feet the aircrafts climb ability deteriorated so he turned back into the wind but the nose dropped stalled and the aircraft entered a spin. The pilot tried to recover but was unsuccessful with the aircraft impacting in a plowed field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3475K
- Reported as
- Piper J-3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22169
- Airframe hours
- 544
- Engine
- Continental A-65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Phillip A. Guzzino
- Registered owner
- Billy B. Sellers
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 30, 1984
- Destination
- Orange County, TX
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 133 total · 39 in this make and model · 93 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 6 knots, gusting 8
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.