Piper PA-28-181 accident near Albany, Georgia, January 15, 1987
On January 15, 1987 at about 11:23 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N4353P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albany, Georgia (Albany Dougherty CO. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- January 15, 1987 · about 11:23 pm local time
- Place
- Albany, Georgia · Albany Dougherty CO. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N4353P · no longer on the register · serial 288490063
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT DEPTD BOWLING GREEN WITH A LISTED 5.0 HRS FUEL ON BD. AFTER 3 HR 35 MIN HE ARRIVED OVER DEST AFTER EXHAUSTING FUEL IN THE RT TANK ABT 30 MIN PRIOR. HE STATED THAT THE OTHER TANK WAS ABT 1/2 FULL AT THE TIME. 15 MIN AFTER RT TANK EXHAUSTION THE PLT REQ HIS FIRST WX UPDATE AT DEST. IT WAS AT MIN. AFTER ARP OVER DEST THE EFC TIME WAS ABOUT 25 MIN. LATER. AT THE EFC THE PLT WAS CLRD TO APCH CONT AND TOLD TO EFC 1 HR LATER. THE PLT IND THAT HE COULD NOT HOLD THAT LONG. HE REQ THAT APCH 'LEAP FROG' HIM PAST THE OTHER TRAFFIC APCH DENIED AND PLT REQ DIVERSION TO ANOTHER APT. HE WAS CLRD TO VALDOSTA BUT WAS TOLD THAT APCH GAVE HIM TWO OTHER CHOICES, STAY IN PAT. OR DEC EMER AND WOULD BE WORKED IN PLT REQ PRIORITY INST OF EMER AND WAS DENIED. PLT WAS CLRD FOR ILS APCH. AT 1821 THE PLT RADIOED MY ENG JUST QUIT. HE THEN RADIOED TWR THAT HE HAD HIT SOME WIRES AND WAS DOWN OFF THE ARPT BUT WAS OK. TOT FLT TIME ABT 4 HRS. 40 MIN.
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: 319 hours in all; 225 in this make and model; 64 in the last 90 days; 2,411 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,220 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 2, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BWG Bowling Green KY at 7:30 pm
- Destination: ABY Albany GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4, 6,601 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 030° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 200 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:23 pm from ABY, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.