Piper PA-18-150 accident near Dallas, Texas, November 11, 1987
On November 11, 1987 at about 11:58 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N876Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dallas, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- November 11, 1987 · about 11:58 pm local time
- Place
- Dallas, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N876Q · no longer on the register · serial 18-7881
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT THE ACFT WAS NO. 3 IN THE PATTERN FOR LANDING ON RWY 17. HE SAID CARB HEAT WAS APPLIED ON DOWNWIND AND ENG POWER WAS USED UNTIL THE ACFT WAS ON A 3 MI FINAL. AT THAT POINT PWR WAS REDUCED AND A GLIDE WAS ESTABLISHED. A SHORT TIME LATER THE PLT ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO ADJUST THE GLIDE AND THE ENG WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOVE IDLE. THE TEMP/DEW PT AT AN AIRPORT 10 MI N OF THE ACDT SITE WAS 55 DEG F AND 29 DEG F RESPECTIVELY. THE ACFT WAS REBUILT AND THE ENG WAS RUN AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE REBUILD PROJECT ON 1/14/89. THE ENG RAN NORMALLY AND NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL CAUSE FOR THE LOSS OF PWR WAS FOUND.
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 570 hours in all; 106 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 505 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,708 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1987; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,625 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ROB at 11:40 pm
- Destination: RBD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.