Piper PA-23-250 and Rockwell 112A mid-air collision near Dover, Delaware, March 29, 1987
On March 29, 1987 at about 8:17 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Piper PA-23-250 (N5216Y) and Rockwell 112A (N1374J), were involved in a mid-air collision near Dover, Delaware. No one was hurt; 4 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
- March 29, 1987 · about 8:17 pm local time
- Place
- Dover, Delaware · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N5216Y · registry record · serial 27-2264
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Rockwell 112A
- Registration
- N1374J · registry record · serial 374
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Piper PA-23-250 final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ROCKWELL WAS IN LEVEL FLIGHT AT 2800 FT AND THE PIPER WAS CLIMBING WHEN MIDAIR COLLISION OCCURRED. NEITHER ACFT WAS OPERATING UNDER ATC. NEITHER PLT SAW THE OTR AIRCRAFT BEFORE THE COLLISION OCCURRED. THE BOTTOM OF THE ROCKWELL CABIN AND THE LEFT TIPTANK OF THE PIPER COLLIDED. THE COLLISION ANGLE BETWEEN THE ACFT WAS 60 DEGREES. THE ROCKWELL PILOT WAS ABLE TO PROCEED TO HIS INTENDED DESTINATION. THE LEFT TIP TANK OF THE PIPER SEPARATED FROM THE WING. THE PIPER PILOT, AS A PRECAUTION, SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENGINE AND THEN DIVERTED THE FLIGHT TO A NEARBY AIRPORT AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Rockwell 112A final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ROCKWELL WAS IN LEVEL FLIGHT AT 2800 FT AND THE PIPER WAS CLIMBING WHEN MIDAIR COLLISION OCCURRED. NEITHER ACFT WAS OPERATING UNDER ATC. NEITHER PLT SAW THE OTR ACFT BEFORE THE COLLISION OCCURRED. THE BOTTOM OF THE ROCKWELL CABIN AND THE LEFT TIPTANK OF THE PIPER COLLIDED. THE COLLISION ANGLE BETWEEN THE ACFT WAS 60 DEGREES. THE ROCKWELL PILOT WAS ABLE TO PROCEED TO HIS INTENDED DESTINATION. THE LEFT TIP TANK OF THE PIPER SEPARATED FROM THE WING. THE PIPER PILOT, AS A PRECAUTION, SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENGINE AND THEN DIVERTED THE FLIGHT TO A NEARBY AIRPORT AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
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 for the Piper PA-23-250 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,918 hours in all; 269 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,346 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1DS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SBY Salisbury MD at 3:00 pm
- Destination: MRB Martinsburg WV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:30 pm from DOV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
The factual record for the Rockwell 112A from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,416 hours in all; 1,487 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,503 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 31, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1D6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GED Georgetown DE at 8:15 pm
- Destination: THV York PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
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 BFO87LA028.