Rockwell 500S accident near Lynchburg, Virginia, January 17, 1987
On January 17, 1987 at about 6:45 am local time, a Rockwell 500S, registered N717AM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lynchburg, Virginia (Lynchburg Municipal airport). It was a business 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
- January 17, 1987 · about 6:45 am local time
- Place
- Lynchburg, Virginia · Lynchburg Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 500S
- Registration
- N717AM · registry record · serial 3095
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER LEAVING CLOUDS ABOUT 4500 FEET MSL, THE PIC MADE A VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 03 AT LYNCHBURG MUNICIPAL. ON SHORT FINAL THE COPILOT STATED THAT HE NOTICED WHAT SEEMED TO BE A GRADUAL INCREASE IN PITCH ATTITUDE WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL TOO HIGH OFF THE RUNWAY. HE MENTIONED THIS TO THE PIC; HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED RAPIDLY AND CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, COLLAPSING THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT SLID A SHORT DISTANCE ON THE RUNWAY.
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: 1,103 hours in all; 155 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 999 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 6,750 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-E1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N40 Flemington NJ at 4:55 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 3, 5,799 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:32 am from LYN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.