N5050R

On July 25, 2025, about 0916 Alaska daylight time, a Piper J3C-65 airplane, N5050R, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Dillingham, Alaska. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to witnesses, shortly after performing a touch-and-go landing on the gravel surface adjacent to Runway 19 at the Dillingham Airport, as the airplane climbed to an altitude of about 200 ft above the runway, the engine experienced a momentary loss of power, followed by an engine restart. The nose of the airplane then pitched up, slowed, and the left wing stalled, resulting in an uncontrolled, nose-down, vertical descent. During the descent, the airplane engine reportedly experienced another loss of power.

The airplane impacted the runway approximately 680 feet northeast of the departure end of Runway 19 and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. (See figure 1)

Figure 1. Accident site location on the Dillingham Airport.

A witness captured a portion of the accident sequence on a cell phone video. See figures 2A and 2B.

Figure 2A. Accident airplane on initial climb from Runway 19 (Provided by Alaska State Troopers)

Figure 2B. Accident airplane during the uncontrolled descent (Provided by Alaska State Troopers)

The wreckage has been moved to a secure location and a detailed NTSB examination is pending.