Piper PA-30 accident near Brownsville, Texas, October 25, 1987
On October 25, 1987 at about 11:14 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N7969Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brownsville, Texas (Brownsville Arpt airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were 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
- October 25, 1987 · about 11:14 pm local time
- Place
- Brownsville, Texas · Brownsville Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N7969Y · no longer on the register · serial 301068
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE EXECUTING A SINGLE ENGINE ILS APPROACH TO A TOUCH AND GO LANDING, THE CFI PULLED THE MIXTURE CONTROL ON THE RIGHT ENGINE. UPON LANDING THE PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER TO BOTH ENGINES BUT THE RIGHT ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. ABOUT 2 FT ABOVE THE RWY THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE RIGHT AND CONTACTED THE GROUND 100 FT RIGHT OF THE CENTERLINE COLLAPSING THE LEFT MAIN GEAR, NOSE GEAR, AND DAMAGING THE RIGHT WING.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 931 hours in all; 271 in this make and model; 216 in the last 90 days; 687 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,752 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 26, 1987; 103 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BRO at 10:00 pm
- Destination: BRO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 7,400 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:48 pm from BRO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.