- Date
- April 21, 1989, 20:38 local (Apr 22, 1989, 01:38 UTC)
- Place
- Ashland, NE
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N33066Piper J3C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report December 10, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890421011309A
- Case key
- 34677
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Poor judgement of the pilot by flying while physically impaired from alcohol consumption, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed, while flying over a meandering river, which resulted in a stall. A contributing factor was the pilot's inadequate altitude to recover from the stall.
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 plt and his passenger (wife), who had been separated for some time, departed on a local flt from weeping water, NE. Although not verified, the purpose of the flt was believed to be for personal reasons. Later, several witnesses observedthe acft flying low & slow over the platte river. A witness near Ashland, NE, rprtd the acft was so low that the plt initiated a climb to cross over a bridge. Witnesses last saw the acft flying up the meandering river (upstream) at low altitude. Subsequently, it was found where it had crashed in 3 to 4 ft of water, about 30 yds from the shore. The acft crashed in a steep nose down attitude, on a downstream heading. The nose of the acft took the brunt of the impact, but there was also damage to the forward cockpit, wings, wing struts & landing gear. The empennage & aft fuselage were undamaged. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the acft was found. Toxicology checks showed the plt had a urine/alcohol lvl of 0.108% & a blood/alcohol lvl of 0.058%.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N33066
- Reported as
- Piper J3C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5817
- Airframe hours
- 1,171
- Engine
- Continental C-85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Nelson, Max M.
- Registered owner
- Almquist, Barrett, And Nelson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 7, 1988 · 55 hours before
- Departed
- EPG · Weeping Water, NE
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 540 total · 11 in this make and model · 413 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OMA, 18 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.