Piper J4A accident near Collierville, Tennessee, May 10, 1987
On May 10, 1987 at about 7:52 pm local time, a Piper J4A, registered N25020, was destroyed in an accident near Collierville, Tennessee (Wolf River airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 September 29, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 1987 · about 7:52 pm local time
- Place
- Collierville, Tennessee · Wolf River · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J4A · all J4As on the register
- Registration
- N25020 · registry record · serial 4-792
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
IT WAS REPTD THAT THE PLT WAS TAKING HIS PAX UP FOR A LCL PHOTOGRAPHIC FLT AT THE REQ OF THE PAX. WITNESSES REPTD THAT THE ACFT REMAINED OVER THE APT FOR TWO OR THREE CIRCUITS AND THEN DEPTD THE AREA IN THE DIR OF COLLIERVILLE. WITNESSES NEAR THE CRASH SITE REPTD THAT THE ACFT WAS MANEUVERING AT LOW ALTITUDE. IT WAS THEN REPTD THAT THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO BE IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. THE ACFT WAS THEN OBSERVED TO ROLL TO THE RIGHT AND DIVE INTO A RESIDENCE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT CONDITIONS WERE CONDUCIVE TO SERIOUS CARBURETOR ICING. IN ADDITION, THE ENG PRIMER WAS FOUND UNLOCKED AND FOUR CYL HOLD DOWN STUDS FOR THE #2 CYL WERE FOUND FAILED AS A RESULT OF FATIGUE CRACKS. AN EXHAUST CRACK IN THE #2 CYL EXHAUST MANIFOLD EXHIBITED EVIDENCE OF A 1/2 INCH LONG BLOWBY LEAK.
The NTSB's narratives can run to many pages; this is the opening. Read the full report at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database and is rewritten in plain English only where the NTSB used codes; the probable cause and narrative are the NTSB's own words. This site 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 ATL87FA136.