Piper PA-28-180 accident near Sandusky, Ohio, July 25, 1986
On July 25, 1986 at about 3:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N9011J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sandusky, Ohio (Griffing airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 1986 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- Sandusky, Ohio · Griffing · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N9011J · no longer on the register · serial 28-3037
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DIVERTED AND LANDED TO REASSESS THE WEATHER BEFORE CONTINUING HIS FLIGHT. HE SAID THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTHWEST AT EIGHT KTS. JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN ON RUNWAY 27, THE AIRCRAFT YAWED LEFT AND LANDED WHILE IN A CRAB. THE AIRPLANE THEN VEERED LEFT, WENT OFF THE RUNWAY INTO SOFT MUD AND NOSED OVER.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 215 hours in all; 189 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 159 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,460 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ERI Erie PA at 1:48 pm
- Destination: D98 Romeo MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 3,567 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 13,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from CLE, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N9011J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL86LA211.