Piper J3C accident near Winter Haven, FL
On March 7, 2023, a Piper J3C (airplane) was involved in an accident near Winter Haven, FL. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 7, 2023
- Place
- Winter Haven, FL
- Aircraft
- Piper J3C · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 28.055°N, 81.741°W
- NTSB ID
- 20230307106845
Official records · ERA23FA142
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Kgif Airport Ctaf Recording (Liveatc.net): Audio recording (MP3), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 7, 2023, at 14:00 eastern standard time, a Piper J3C airplane, N10510, and a Piper PA-28-161 airplane, N9221D, collided in midair in Winter Haven, Florida. The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction in each airplane were fatally injured. Both flights were operated as Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flights. According to the operator of the float-equipped J3C, the airplane was returning to Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base (F57), Winter Haven, Florida for a water landing after a local flight. A witness reported the J3C was on a southerly heading, had just turned to a westerly direction, and appeared lower than the PA-28 just before the collision. According to recorded CTAF radio transmissions and ADS-B data, the PA-28 departed from the airplane’s home airport, Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL), Lakeland, Florida. The flight proceeded to Winter Haven Regional Airport (GIF), Winter Haven, Florida, where the pilot receiving instruction was performing power-off 180° landing maneuvers to runway 29. The flight school chief pilot reported that the purpose of this flight was to practice power-off 180° landing maneuvers as the pilot receiving instruction had been graded unsatisfactory in the previous flight lesson. The maneuver during which the accident occurred was the fourth such maneuver. Shortly after the PA-28 pilot announced a left turn to the base leg of the traffic pattern, the airplanes collided nearly head-on. ADS-B data revealed that the collision occurred at an altitude about 575 ft mean sea level. Surveil
Probable cause
The failure of both flight crews to see and avoid each other while operating in the airport environment.
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Browse: Florida · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
