Piper PA-30 accident near Raleigh, North Carolina, May 16, 1987
On May 16, 1987 at about 2:23 am local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N7937Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Raleigh, North Carolina (Raleigh-Durham airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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
- May 16, 1987 · about 2:23 am local time
- Place
- Raleigh, North Carolina · Raleigh-Durham · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N7937Y · no longer on the register · serial 30-1028
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN A PROPER DESCENT RATE ON THE APPROACH FOR LANDING. HE SAID THE RIGHT ENGINE FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN HE ADDED POWER TO ARREST THE RATE OF DESCENT AND THEREAFTER, HE APPLIED FULL POWER TO EITHER GO-AROUND OR LAND FURTHER DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE RIGHT ENGINE STILL FAILED TO RESPOND AND HE CUT ALL POWER BUT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND RAN OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT ENGINE SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF IN-FLIGHT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 488 hours in all; 290 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 429 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,716 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 10, 1987; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GAI Gaithersburg MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23R, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.