Piper PA-32RT-300 accident near Liberty, North Carolina, July 3, 1987
On July 3, 1987 at about 2:00 am local time, a Piper PA-32RT-300, registered N9385C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Liberty, North Carolina (Causey airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 1987 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Liberty, North Carolina · Causey · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32RT-300 PA-32RT-30 · all PA-32RT-300s on the register
- Registration
- N9385C · registry record · serial 32R7885046
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BFR DEPARTING ON A NGT FLT, THE ACFT WAS LOADED UNTIL IT WAS AT OR NEAR ITS MAX GROSS WT LIMIT. THE PLT STATED THAT AS HE WAS TAKING OFF ON A 3000' RWY, THE ENG 'COUGHED' AFTER THE ACFT HAD ACCELERATED TO ABOUT THE ROTATION SPEED & WAS APRX 3/4 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RWY. HE ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF, BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP ON THE REMAINING RWY. BFR STOPPING, THE ACFT WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT & THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. AN EXAM & AN OPNL CHECK OF THE ENG REVEALED NO PRE-ACDNT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, EXCEPT FOR A RICH IDLE MIXTURE. ABOUT 19 MI NW AT GREENSBORO, NC, THE WX WAS: 7000 FT BRKN, 15 MI VIS, WIND FROM 200 DEG AT 7 KTS, TEMP 74, DEW POINT 70, ALTIMETER SETTING 30.03' HG. ACCORDING TO THE ACFT OPERATOR'S MANUAL, 840' OF PAVED RWY WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO STOP. SKID MARKS WERE FOUND ON THE LAST 500' OF THE RWY & ACROSS 250' OF SOD BEFORE THE ACFT WENT OFF THE EMBANKMENT.
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: 618 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,540 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, June 22, 1987; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Causey Aviation Service,Inc.
The flight
- Destination: CRE No.Myrtle Beach SC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 20, 3,000 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; not recorded at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from GSO, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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 N9385C 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 ATL87LA202.