Piper PA-34-200T accident near El Monte, California, August 4, 1987
On August 4, 1987 at about 5:33 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registered N477BL, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Monte, California (El Monte airport). It was an instructional 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
- August 4, 1987 · about 5:33 pm local time
- Place
- El Monte, California · El Monte · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200T · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N477BL · no longer on the register · serial 347870292
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AN INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WAS GIVING AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PLT (ATP) A CHECK-OUT IN THE PA-34. THE ATP CHECKED THE FUEL QUANTITY & QUESTIONED THE CFI ABOUT THE LVL IN THE LEFT TANK. THE CFI ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS NOT FULL. THE ATP STATED THE FUEL GAUGES INDCD 30 GAL IN THE LEFT TANK & 25 GAL IN THE RGT TANK. DRG THE FLT, THE CFI SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENG BY PSNG THE LEFT FUEL SELECTOR TO OFF & MOVING THE RGT FUEL SELECTOR TO THE X-FEED PSN. AS THE FLT CONTD (ON A VOR APCH), THE RGT ENG LOST PWR. BOTH FUEL SELECTORS WERE PSND TO ON, BUT NEITHER ENG RESTARTED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT LANDED ABOUT 1/2 MI SHORT OF THE RWY, HIT A FENCE & WAS DAMAGED. AN EXAM REVEALED THERE WAS ABOUT 1.5 GAL OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE LEFT TANK & APRX 42 GAL IN THE RGT TANK. FAA PSNL RPRTD THE PLT LACKED KNOWLEDGE OF EMERG PROCEDURES CONTAINED IN THE PLT OPERG HANDBOOK.
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 single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,020 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 254 in the last 90 days; 71 in the last 30 days; 950 as pilot in command; 674 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,066 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 2, 1987; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-E (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: California Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: EMT El Monte CA at 4:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 3,995 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:33 pm from EMT, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N477BL 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.