Piper PA-30-160R accident near Chantilly, Virginia, August 4, 1988
On August 4, 1988 at about 4:58 pm local time, a Piper PA-30-160R, registered N7866Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chantilly, Virginia (Dulles airport). It was an instructional 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).
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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
- August 4, 1988 · about 4:58 pm local time
- Place
- Chantilly, Virginia · Dulles
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30-160R · all PA-30-160Rs on the register
- Registration
- N7866Y · registry record · serial 30-949
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTR & STU PLT WERE DOING A PRACTICE LANDING ON RWY 27 AT THE FRONT ROYAL AIRPORT WHEN THE ACFT LANDED HARD AND BOUNCED ABOUT 20 FT HIGH. A GO AROUND WAS MADE, HOWEVER, THE LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. AFTER TWO FLYOVERS OF THE ARPT IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE L MAIN GEAR WAS DAMAGED. THE INSTR DECIDED TO FLY TO DULLES INTL ARPT WHERE A LANDING WAS MADE ON THE TWO EXTENDED LANDING GEAR. THE STU WAS A CERTIFIED COMMERCIAL PLT WHO WAS PRACTICING FOR A FLIGHT CHECK. HE HAD 11 TOTAL FLT HRS IN THIS ACFT AND THIS WAS HIS SIXTH FLIGHT IN IT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,802 hours in all; 425 in this make and model; 128 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 8,356 as pilot in command; 6,720 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,342 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 20, 1987; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FRR Front Royal VA at 2:00 pm
- Destination: IAD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 10,001 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 BFO88LA072.