Piper PA-28-140 accident near Anniston, Alabama, December 9, 1987
On December 9, 1987 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N15629, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anniston, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 1987 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Anniston, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N15629 · registry record · serial 28-7325121
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE VFR PILOT CONTINUED THE FLIGHT INTO DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND ATTEMPTED TO DESCEND BELOW THE LOWERING CLOUDS UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOO LOW TO TURN AROUND SAFELY AND RETURN TO VFR FLIGHT CONDITIONS. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES AND STRUCK THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN. THE PLT STATED THAT WHEN HE COULD NOT GET UNDER THE LOW CLOUDS HE DECIDED TO CLIMB AND ATTEMPT TO GET ON TOP. HE SAID HE HAD APPLIED FULL POWER TO CLIMB AND ABOUT 5 SECONDS LATER THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH THE TOP OF TREES AND THEN THE GROUND.
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
- Flight time: 388 hours in all; 309 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 373 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 16, 1987; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: CAE Columbia SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from ANB, 30 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.
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 ATL88FA056.