Accident Overview
On June 24, 2025, at approximately 18:23 central daylight time, a Piper J3C-65, registration N28DR, sustained substantial damage in an accident near Dunlap, Tennessee. The commercial pilot suffered fatal injuries, and the passenger was seriously injured. The aircraft was being operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight.
Flight Purpose and Passenger Account
According to the passenger, the flight was intended to continue instructional training he had begun a few days prior. He recalled being at a nearby airstrip about 7 miles north of the accident location but did not remember departing, the accident flight, or the events leading up to the accident.
Accident Site and Aircraft Condition
The accident site was located at the airplane owner's private airstrip, approximately 40 feet to the left side of the runway. The runway heading was 240°, and the airplane came to rest on a 335° heading, mostly upright in a hay field. A ground scar 8 inches deep was observed directly in front of the engine, centered with the aircraft and extending 2 feet to the right. The right main landing gear had collapsed, and the airplane was partially resting on the right wing. The cockpit instrumentation, firewall, and engine were displaced upward from the fuselage.
Witness Statements
Witnesses confirmed that the fuel selector was in the "both" position. One witness reported that the forward occupant was wearing the installed four-point harness, while the aft seat occupant was not wearing a harness or lap belt, though the lap belt was in close proximity. Another witness recalled that the aft seat occupant had the lap belt secured but the shoulder harnesses were not used. First responders found several broken tree limbs with yellow paint transfer about 113 feet from the main wreckage.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Damage to the left-wing leading edge was evident, with tree foliage found underneath the damaged skin, consistent with the broken tree limbs exhibiting yellow paint transfer. A puncture hole through the top and bottom of the left wing forward and outboard of the left aileron was observed. A Garmin GPSmap396 was recovered but not further detailed.
Runway Information
The grass runway measured 40 feet in width. A clearing at the beginning of the runway was about 100 feet wide and approximately 50 feet from the cut grass on the runway. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the airstrip was about 2,100 feet in length.
Figure 1: Main wreckage location in proximity to the private airstrip and broken tree limbs.