N30494 is a 1940 Piper J3C-65 (fixed wing single engine) with serial number 4874, registered in Hillsboro, ND. Its FAA registration is valid and runs until Feb 29, 2032; the renewal window opens on Aug 29, 2031. It is powered by a Cont Motor C85-8 rated at 85 hp. Its airworthiness certificate is in the standard class (normal), issued Oct 7, 2011. It is one of 3,190 J3C-65 aircraft in the FAA registry, 34 of them registered in North Dakota. About 88% of them were built after it. The NTSB accident database lists one record for this airframe since 2008, the latest on Nov 17, 2023.
Registration
- FAA status
- Valid registration
- Expires
- Feb 29, 2032
- Registrant type
- Co-owned
- Registered owner
- Individual owner, name not shown
- Location
- Hillsboro, ND
- Local FAA office (FSDO)
- Fargo FSDO (FAR FSDO) · (701) 492-5800
- Certificate issued
- Feb 18, 2025
- Last FAA action
- Feb 18, 2025
- Mode S code (hex)
- A331DE
- Mode S code (octal)
- 50630736
- Official record
- registry.faa.gov
Aircraft
- Manufacturer
- PIPER
- Model
- J3C-65
- Year manufactured
- 1940
- Serial number
- 4874
- Aircraft type
- Fixed wing single engine
- Engine type
- Reciprocating
- Engine
- CONT MOTOR C85-8 (85 hp)
- Engines / seats
- 1 / 2
- Weight class
- Up to 12,499 lb
- Airworthiness
- Standard since Oct 7, 2011
- Approved operations
- Normal
Public airports near Hillsboro
| Airport | ID | Distance | Tower | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsboro Municipal Hillsboro, ND | 3H4 | 3 mi | Non-towered | 100LL |
| Mayville Municipal Mayville, ND | D56 | 13 mi | Non-towered | - |
| Arthur Arthur, ND | 1A2 | 21 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 17, 2023 | Buffalo, MN | Piper J3C this airframe | Substantial | None | CEN24LA041 |
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.