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NYC92FA026

1991-11-03 · PLYMOUTH, Massachusetts, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N6AN

Make / Model
PIPER J3C-65
Year of manufacture
1943 · 48 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES (65 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19561113
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A7C29A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE IMPROPER DECISION BY THE NON-INSTRUMENT-RATED PILOT TO ATTEMPT VFR FLIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, AT A LOW ALTITUDE, WHICH RESULTED IN A COLLISION WITH THE WATER. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE OVERCONFIDENCE OF THE PILOT IN HIS ABILITY AND AN AIRPLANE WITHOUT PROPER INSTRUMENTATION.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT HAD A HISTORY OF FLYING AT LOW ALTITUDE AND IN WEATHER CONDITIONS EVEN THOUGH HE WAS NOT AN INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE FLYING OVER HIS BOAT AT AN ALTITUDE OF 50 FEET, INTO A FOG BANK. THE AIRPLANE HAD LIMITED FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_NYC92FA026.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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