Spartan 7W accident near Sumter, South Carolina, April 25, 1987
On April 25, 1987 at about 12:35 pm local time, a Spartan 7W, registered N13PH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sumter, South Carolina (Shaw Afb 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 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 October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 1987 · about 12:35 pm local time
- Place
- Sumter, South Carolina · Shaw Afb · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Spartan 7W · all 7Ws on the register
- Registration
- N13PH · registry record · serial 13
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO TURN TO THE LEFT AFTER LDG WHEN THE TAILWHEEL TOUCHED DOWN; SUBSEQUENT EFFORTS TO COUNTERACT THE TURN WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL. THE AIRPLANE RAN OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY AND HIT A DEPRESSION IN THE TERRAIN, COLLAPSING THE MAIN LDG GEAR. THE WIND AT THE TIME WAS REPORTEDLY CALM. POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PRE-EXISTING MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 115 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 15,380 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 9, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W WASPJR-R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GMU Greenville SC at 11:25 am
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 22L, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. 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 ATL87LA144.