Piper PA-28-161 accident near Muncie, Indiana, June 18, 1987
On June 18, 1987 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N9174M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Muncie, Indiana (Delaware County Johnson airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- June 18, 1987 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Muncie, Indiana · Delaware County Johnson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N9174M · registry record · serial 288616035
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER LANDING ON RWY 32 THE ACFT VEERED TO THE LEFT, CROSSING A PARALLEL TAXIWAY AND STRIKING A TAXIWAY LIGHT. THE PLT STATED THAT THE ACFT THEN BECAME AIRBORNE BEFORE STRIKING A TERRAIN DEPRESSION, AT WHICH TIME THE NOSEWHEEL SHEARED OFF AND THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND. N9174M THEN CONTINUED ACROSS RWY 02 WHERE IT COLLIDED WITH A BARRICADE AND STOPPED.
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: 79 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 37 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 98 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Muncie Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 6,499 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from MIE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 CHI87LA152.