Piper PA-28-181 accident near Troy, Michigan, September 25, 1987
On September 25, 1987 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N7688F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Troy, Michigan (Big Beaver airport). It was a business 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
- September 25, 1987 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Troy, Michigan · Big Beaver
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N7688F · registry record · serial 28-7790219
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENG LOST POWER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS DMGD DRG A FORCED LNDG WEST OF THE ARPT. DRG AN EXAM OF THE ACFT, 20 TO 25 GAL OF AVGAS WAS FND IN THE LEFT FUEL TANK; HOWEVER, THE RGT TANK HAD ONLY RESIDUAL FUEL REMAINING. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FND IN THE 'OFF' POSITION & NO FUEL WAS FND IN THE CARBURETOR OR FUEL LINE TO THE ENG. ALSO, THE FUEL SYS WAS INTACT & NO LEAKS WERE FND IN THE SYS.
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 single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 344 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 231 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,159 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 19, 1987; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Romeo Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Destination: D98 Romeo MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,400 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Observation at 5:56 pm from DET, 10 miles away
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 CHI87LA221.