How many Piper J3C-65s are registered in the US?

3,153, in the FAA aircraft registry.

When was the Piper J3C-65 built?

From about 1938 to 1955. Half of those registered today were built by 1946.

What engine does the Piper J3C-65 have?

Most have the Continental A65 (63% of those registered); others have the Continental C85, Continental A75, Continental C90.

What are common problems with the Piper J3C-65?

In 3 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were fuel control/turbine engines, rudder control system, main rotor indicating system, and the part most often reported was a cracked spark plug.

How many accidents has the Piper J3C-65 had?

71 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 11 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of control on ground. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.

How many Airworthiness Directives does the Piper J3C-65 have?

13 current ADs name the J3C-65 airframe, 0 of them with a repeat action, and 10 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.

Ownership guide

Piper J3C-65 Cub

3,153 registered in the US, built from about 1938 to 1955, 2 seats, most with the Continental A65. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.

The fleet

Registered in the US: 3,153
Built: 1938 to 1955
Half built by: 1946
Seats: 2
Engine type: Piston
Most common engine: Continental A65

Engines installed

Continental A651,994 aircraft (63%)
Continental C85467 aircraft (15%) · 4 ADs, 0 with a repeat action
Continental A75160 aircraft (5%) · 1 ADs, 0 with a repeat action
Continental C90159 aircraft (5%) · 5 ADs, 0 with a repeat action

From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.

Airworthiness Directives

13 current ADs name the J3C-65 airframe, 0 with a repeat action; 1 more were superseded. Its engines carry 10 more. 4 equipment ADs name the model.

No current airframe AD mentions a repeat action.

Every AD for the Piper J3C-65

What gets reported

3 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.

Systems reported most

Fuel Control/Turbine Engines1
Rudder Control System1
Main Rotor Indicating System1

Parts reported most

Spark plug, cracked1
Tab, broken1
Warning system, defective1

The latest reports

2025-11-23 · Fuel Control/Turbine Engines · Spark plug, cracked
Leveled at 4000ft, engine power was reduced to 80% with fuel consumption leaned to 17gal/hr. after being set in this cruise profile for approximately 2 minutes, the engine began to run rough. the pilot then richened the mixture which did not fix the issue, he preformed multiple trouble shooting throttle and mixture adjustments, but none of these remedied the issue either prompting the return to kd
2021-04-15 · Main Rotor Indicating System · Warning system, defective
Customer reported warning unit - low rpm p/n: a569-9 was faulty, horn sounds intermittently @ 102%.
2020-09-01 · Rudder Control System · Tab, broken
Rudder cable attachment tab broke off during landing rollout left rear rudder tab.

From the FAA's Service Difficulty Reporting System, refreshed monthly. Counts of what was reported, not failure rates: most of general aviation reports voluntarily, and a busy training fleet reports more than a private one.

Accident record

71 accidents since 2008, 11 fatal (12 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 2 aircraft destroyed.

What happened

Loss of control on ground16
Loss of control in flight11
Loss of engine power (total)5
Aerodynamic stall/spin5
Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT)4
Collision during takeoff/land4

Phase of flight

Landing16
Initial climb11
Approach10
Takeoff10
Enroute6

The latest

Date	Where	What happened	Injuries	NTSB number
2026-07-20	Richmond, TX	Unknown: Unknown or undetermined	Serious	CEN26LA266
2026-04-10	Crestview, FL	Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)	Serious	ERA26LA168
2025-07-25	Dillingham, AK	Initial climb: Loss of control in flight	Fatal	ANC25FA079
2025-07-13	Howard, WI	Approach: Miscellaneous/other	None	CEN25LA249
2025-06-24	Dunlap, TN	Landing: Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT)	Fatal	ERA25FA239
2025-05-04	Wilson, KS	Enroute: Unknown or undetermined	Fatal	CEN25FA166

From the NTSB's aviation accident database, refreshed monthly; accidents only, homebuilts left out. Counts, not rates: nobody publishes how many hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Look up any case by its number in the NTSB's CAROL.

What it costs to run

Per hour flown

Hours flown a yearhr/yrFuel burngal/hrTypical cruise; your POH and how you fly decide it.Fuel price$/galEngine overhaul$A quote from an engine shop.Hours to overhaulhrThe engine maker's published time between overhauls.Maintenance reserve$/hrEverything else that wears: tires, brakes, avionics, the unexpected.

Per year, flown or not

Insurance$/yrHangar or tiedown$/yrAnnual inspection$/yrLoan payments$/yrEverything else$/yrSubscriptions, database updates, the property tax some states charge.

Fuel: $0/hr
Engine reserve: $0/hr
A year: $0
All in, per hour: $0/hr

Filled in for a Piper J3C-65 with the Continental A65: a typical cruise fuel burn and the engine maker's published overhaul time. Everything else is yours to fill in: insurance, hangar and overhaul prices vary too much by pilot, airport and shop for a default to mean anything. Nothing you type leaves this page.

Before you buy one

Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
For each repeat-action AD, find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
Compare the engine's time since overhaul with its maker's published overhaul time, and look for the reason behind any long gap in flying.
Ask the mechanic doing the pre-buy to look hard at the fuel control/turbine engines and for cracked spark plugs: they are what gets reported most on this model.
4 equipment ADs name the J3C-65 (a muffler, a seat belt, a display): find out which of that equipment is installed.
Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
Work out the sales or use tax your state will charge with the aircraft tax calculator.

Questions

How many Piper J3C-65s are registered in the US?: 3,153, in the FAA aircraft registry.
When was the Piper J3C-65 built?: From about 1938 to 1955. Half of those registered today were built by 1946.
What engine does the Piper J3C-65 have?: Most have the Continental A65 (63% of those registered); others have the Continental C85, Continental A75, Continental C90.
What are common problems with the Piper J3C-65?: In 3 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were fuel control/turbine engines, rudder control system, main rotor indicating system, and the part most often reported was a cracked spark plug.
How many accidents has the Piper J3C-65 had?: 71 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 11 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of control on ground. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
How many Airworthiness Directives does the Piper J3C-65 have?: 13 current ADs name the J3C-65 airframe, 0 of them with a repeat action, and 10 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.

Figures from the FAA aircraft registry and the FAA's Airworthiness Directives, rebuilt daily. An AD listed for a model is one to read; whether it applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number, equipment and records.