Piper PA-28-181 accident near Galesburg, Illinois, August 17, 1986
On August 17, 1986 at about 10:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N8787C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Galesburg, Illinois (Galesburg airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- August 17, 1986 · about 10:00 am local time
- Place
- Galesburg, Illinois · Galesburg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N8787C · registry record · serial 28-7690165
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRAMENT RATED PILOT, LANDING IN IFR CONDITIONS, FLARED TOO HIGH RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING, NOSE GEAR FAILURE AND BUCKLING OF THE ENGINE MOUNTS.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 289 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 242 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,577 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 25, 1986; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OXV Knoxville IA at 8:30 am
- Destination: GBG Galesburg IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 5,794 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 400 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from BRL, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.