Piper PA-24-180 accident near Broomfield, Colorado, November 23, 1987
On November 23, 1987 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-180, registered N7291P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Broomfield, Colorado (Jefferson County 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).
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
- November 23, 1987 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Broomfield, Colorado · Jefferson County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-180 · all PA-24-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7291P · registry record · serial 242469
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FLYING TO BUILD TIME. AFTER AN HOUR OF FLIGHT, THE PLT RETURNED TO THE HOME AIRPORT AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND. LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND PROPERLY AND MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION DID NOT HELP. ALL GEAR WAS PARTIALLY EXTENDED AND WOULD NOT RETRACT. A LANDING WAS MADE ON RUNWAY 11L. A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED EVIDENCE OF IMPROPER AND UNDOCUMENTED MAINTENANCE IN THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM.
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: 1,900 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 1,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,348 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1987; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11L, 7,498 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:28 pm from BJC, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N7291P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.