Aero Commander 520 accident near Carrollton, Texas, July 27, 1987
On July 27, 1987 at about 4:01 pm local time, a Aero Commander 520, registered N4164B, was destroyed in an accident near Carrollton, Texas (Addison airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- July 27, 1987 · about 4:01 pm local time
- Place
- Carrollton, Texas · Addison · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 520 · all 520s on the register
- Registration
- N4164B · no longer on the register · serial 520-69
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACFT WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT STRUCK PWR LINES AND THE GRND DURING A SINGLE ENG GO-AROUND. FOLLOWING A LEFT ENG SHUT DOWN DUE TO SEVERE VIBRATIONS, THE PLT OVERFLEW ONE ARPT TO RETURN TO HIS HOME BASE. EN ROUTE, HE ELECTED NOT TO GO TO FULL PWR DUE TO A 3 MIN LIMITATION HE DID NOT WANT TO EXCEED. THE PLT OVERSHOT THE RWY WHILE MANUALLY EXTENDING THE NOSE GEAR AND ELECTED TO ATTEMPT A RT 270 DEG TURN TO RETURN TO FINAL WHILE AT 100-150' AGL. NLG DID NOT EXTEND DUE TO HYD PUMP BEING ON LEFT ENG AND NO PRESSURE. DURING THE TURN, THE PLT LOST CONTROL AND THE ACFT STRUCK THE WIRES. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE BLADE PITCH CHANGE LINKS ON THE LEFT PROP HAD DISCONNECTED, ALLOWING ONE BLADE TO FREE FLOAT. THE LINK PIN ASSEMBLY HAD BACKED OUT AS A RESULT OF THE SAFETY SCREW BACKING OUT DUE TO DAMAGED AND STRIPPED THREADS AND AN IMPROPER LENGTH SCREW BEING INSTALLED. PROPS HAD 1/4' SAFETY SCREWS INSTALLED INSTEAD OF 3/8'.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,176 hours in all; 206 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 1,066 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,920 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 27, 1987; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming GO-435-C2B2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ADS Addison TX at 3:42 pm
- Destination: RDB Dallas TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 7,199 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:01 pm from ADS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 FTW87FA177.