NTSB CAROL · Event
Event FTW87FA223
Registry · N3685K
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
PIPER J3C-65
Year of manufacture
1946 · 41 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES (65 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19560107
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A42D15
Registrant of record
GASPER JAMES J
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
THE PILOT TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY IN A SMALL CLEARING WHICH HE HAD PREVOUSLY DRIVEN TO BY AUTOMOBILE. HE THEN LIFTED OFF AND STARTED A CLIMBOUT. TWO SEPARATE ELECTRICAL POWER LINES WERE LOCATED JUST INSIDE A TREE LINE WHICH WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED TOUCHDOWN POINT. THE LOWER AND MUCH LARGER WIRES OF THE TWO POWER LINES WERE OBSCURED BY TREES FROM THE TOUCHDOWN POINT. THE SMALL UPPER (GROUND) WIRE WAS VISIBLE AGAINST A CLEAR SKY BACKGROUND FROM THE TOUCHDOWN POINT DURING THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION BUT ITS VISIBILITY WOULD HAVE QUICKLY DIMINISHED INTO A TREE COVERED BACKGROUND AS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED. THE LARGER WIRES WHICH WERE MOUNTED LOWER ON THE POLES WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE VISIBLE NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE, HOWEVER, THEY TOO WOULD HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT OBSCURED BY THE TREE COVERED BACKGROUND. THE ACFT FLEW INTO THE SMALL UPPER WIRE AND CAME TO REST BETWEEN THE TWO POWER LINES. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1987_FTW87FA223.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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