Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Homer, Georgia, October 17, 1987
On October 17, 1987 at about 10:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N1547X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Homer, Georgia. 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).
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
- October 17, 1987 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- Homer, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N1547X · registry record · serial 28R7535321
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED A GRADUAL DECREASE IN POWER AFTER REACHING 4000 FEET. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN A RESTART. HE THEN ELECTED TO ATTEMPT A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A TREE PRIOR TO LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH AND CAME TO REST ABOUT 150 FEET FROM A FENCE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED WITH 20 GALLONS OF 100 LOW LEAD PRIOR TO DEPARTING GAINESVILLE. THE FIXED BASE OPERATOR STATED THAT FUEL SAMPLES WERE TAKEN AND THERE WERE NO VISIBLE CONTAMINATES SEEN IN THE FUEL. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF FUEL PROBLEMS BY OTHERS WHO PURCHASED FUEL FROM GAINESVILLE ON OCTOBER 17, 1987. THE INVESTIGATION FAILED TO DISCOVER ANY REASON FOR THE LOSS OF POWER.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,402 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 101 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,432 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 10, 1987; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Gainesville GA at 10:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 ATL88LA015.