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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 1987 · about 8:17 pm local time · cases in 1987
- 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5216Y on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-23 Apache and Aztec 1,314 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,838 aircraft on the register
- N1374J on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Rockwell 14 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1DS 5,245 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1D6 14 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional · departed from
- Eastern WV Rgnl/Shepherd Field · bound for
- Delaware Coastal Airport · departed from
- York Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Delaware 116 since 1982 · 16 in the last ten years
- Delaware 10,969 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/BFO87LA028.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.