- Date
- May 31, 1987, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mercer, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N38346Piper J-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 16, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870531035139A
- Case key
- 30657
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 flight departed from runway 27 uphill with the wind at 180 degrees in uncut grass. There were trees on the left side of the departure end of the runway. The plt stated that he lost lift as he approached the departure end of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38346
- Reported as
- Piper J-3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6954
- Airframe hours
- 4,677
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David M. Price
- Registered owner
- David M Price
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1986 · 224 hours before
- Airport
- 39PN · Nelson'S Run, runway 27, 2,000 × 250 ft, grass/turf
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 700 in this make and model · 960 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N38346 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.