Piper PA-23-250 accident near Imperial, Texas, August 1, 1987
On August 1, 1987 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N5998Y, was destroyed in an accident near Imperial, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed, 2 people were seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. 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
- August 1, 1987 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Imperial, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed, 2 people were seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N5998Y · no longer on the register · serial 27-3172
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PLT ELECTED TO FLY LOW OVER A RESERVOIR. HE STATED THAT AS HE BEGAN A PASS, NOT FAR FROM THE WATER'S EDGE, THE ACFT ENCTRD A SINK. HE SAID HE ' . . . CHECKED POWER, ALL OK, PLANE JUST SEEMED TO LOSE ALL LIFT . . .' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT STRUCK THE WATER, CRASHED & BEGAN SINKING. FIVE OCCUPANTS EGRESSED FROM THE ACFT; THE 6TH RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT FLYING AT A VERY LOW ALT OVER THE WATER BEFORE THE PLANE CRASHED. THEY RPRTD THAT ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, THE PLT HAD MADE LOW PASSES OVER THE RESERVOIR IN THE SAME MANNER. THE PLT'S LAST MED CERT WAS DATED 11/16/84; THE ACFT'S LAST ANNUAL INSPN WAS DATED 8/15/84. DRG A WEIGHT & BALANCE CHECK, THE ACFT'S CG WAS ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN .2 INCH BEHIND THE AFT LIMIT.
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
- Flight time: 375 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,497 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 15, 1984; 129 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Grand Falls TX at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:47 pm from MAF, 75 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 | 2 |
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.