Piper PA-28-181 accident near Long Beach, California, August 23, 1987
On August 23, 1987 at about 1:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N9144T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Long Beach, California (Long Beach airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1987 · about 1:55 pm local time
- Place
- Long Beach, California · Long Beach · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N9144T · registry record · serial 288690029
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT INDICATED THAT 10 MIN FROM HIS DESTINATION HE BECAME CONCERNED THAT THE FUEL GAUGES READ 'NEAR ZERO.' THE PLT ELECTED TO DIVERT TO ANOTHER APRT, WHICH WAS CLOSED. THE PLT MAINTAINED HIS ALT IN CASE OF POWER LOSS. THE PLT STATED, 'I ALSO BECAME GLUED TO THE GAS GAUGES AND THE ENGINE RPM.' THE PLT THEN INDICATED THAT HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS ABOUT 2,000 FT TOO HIGH ON FINAL APRCH. HE THEN REDUCED THE THROTTLE AND PLACED THE ACFT IN A SLIP. ACCORDING TO THE PLT THE RATE OF DESCENT AND A/S WERE HIGH AND HE DID NOT LOWER ANY FLAPS. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN MIDFIELD ON THE 6,192 FT LONG RWY WITH AN INDICATED A/S OF 126 MPH. THE PLT FURTHER INDICATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO GET A ROOM IN LAS VEGAS THE NIGHT PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT AND DID NOT GET ANY SLEEP. HE STATED IN HIS REPORT THAT FATIGUE DUE TO THE LACK OF SLEEP AFFECTED HIS JUDGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE. THE ACFT RAN OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RWY AND COLLIDED WITH A DIRT BANK.
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
- Flight time: 84 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 52 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,166 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 13, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Peninsula Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV at 12:00 pm
- Destination: TOA Torrance CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25R, 6,192 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 16 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:30 pm from LGB, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 N9144T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX87LA311.