What happened
On June 24, 2025, at approximately 18:23 central daylight time, a Piper J3C-65, registration N28DR, was involved in an accident near Dunlap, Tennessee. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 for instructional purposes.
The aircraft was operating near a private airstrip located approximately 7 miles north of the accident site. The accident occurred at the owner's private airstrip, which featured a grass runway measuring 2,100 feet in length and 40 feet in width. The aircraft came to rest in a hay field approximately 40 feet to the left of the runway. The airplane's final heading was 335°, while the runway heading was 240°.
The impact resulted in 1 fatality and 1 serious injury.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operation. The fuel selector was found in the "both" position.
Physical evidence at the scene included an 8-inch deep ground scar located directly in front of the engine. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the aircraft was partially resting on its right wing. The engine, firewall, and cockpit instrumentation were displaced upward from the fuselage.
Investigators noted broken tree limbs with yellow paint transfer approximately 113 feet from the main wreckage. Damage to the left-wing leading edge included tree foliage caught under the skin, which was consistent with the broken limbs found nearby. A puncture hole was also observed on the top and bottom of the left wing, forward and outboard of the left aileron. A Garmin GPSmap396 was recovered from the site.