N23161 is a 1939 Piper J3C-50 (fixed wing single engine) with serial number 2943, registered in Knoxville, IA. Its FAA registration is valid and runs until Sep 30, 2033; the renewal window opens on Mar 30, 2033. It is powered by a Cont Motor C85 SERIES rated at 85 hp. Its airworthiness certificate is in the standard class (normal), issued Apr 24, 1961. It is one of 13 J3C-50 aircraft in the FAA registry, 1 of them registered in Iowa. The NTSB accident database lists one record for this airframe since 2008, the latest on Jun 26, 2023.
Registration
- FAA status
- Valid registration
- Expires
- Sep 30, 2033
- Registrant type
- LLC
- Registered owner
- SHAWVER AVIATION LLC
- Location
- Knoxville, IA
- Local FAA office (FSDO)
- Des Moines FSDO (DSM FSDO) · (515) 289-3840
- Certificate issued
- Sep 9, 2026
- Last FAA action
- Sep 9, 2026
- Mode S code (hex)
- A20F7B
- Mode S code (octal)
- 50407573
- Official record
- registry.faa.gov
Aircraft
- Manufacturer
- PIPER
- Model
- J3C-50
- Type certificate (TCDS)
- A-691 (Piper Aircraft Inc.)
- Year manufactured
- 1939
- Serial number
- 2943
- Aircraft type
- Fixed wing single engine
- Engine type
- Reciprocating
- Engine
- CONT MOTOR C85 SERIES (85 hp)
- Engines / seats
- 1 / 2
- Weight class
- Up to 12,499 lb
- Airworthiness
- Standard since Apr 24, 1961
- Approved operations
- Normal
Public airports near Knoxville
| Airport | ID | Distance | Tower | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville Municipal Knoxville, IA | KOXV | 1 mi | Non-towered | 100LL, A |
| Pella Municipal Pella, IA | KPEA | 10 mi | Non-towered | 100LL, A |
| Sully Municipal Sully, IA | 8C2 | 22 mi | Non-towered | - |
Straight-line distance from the registration city, from the FAA airport directory (NASR). The registry does not say where an aircraft is based.
NTSB accident and incident records
| Date | Place | Aircraft (as NTSB recorded it) | Damage | Highest injury | NTSB no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 26, 2023 | Elbert, CO | Piper J3C-50 this airframe | Substantial | Minor | CEN23LA277 |
From the NTSB aviation accident database (events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026), matched by N-number. An N-number can move between aircraft, so each row is checked against the serial number on the current registration.