Piper PA-30-160 accident near Condord, California, August 23, 1987
On August 23, 1987 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-30-160, registered N8441, was substantially damaged in an accident near Condord, California (Buchanan Fld airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1987 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Condord, California · Buchanan Fld
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30-160 · all PA-30-160s on the register
- Registration
- N8441 · no longer on the register · serial 30921
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION THE ACFT WAS PREPARED FOR A TEST FLIGHT. THE PILOT LOADED 3 PASSENGERS AND BEGAN THE RUN-UP CHECKS. DURING RUN-UP THE LEFT ENGINE RAN ROUGH. AFTER THE ROUGHNESS CLEARED THE PILOT INITIATED THE TAKEOFF. AS THE ACFT ACCELERATED DOWN THE RWY THE LEFT ENGINE RAN ROUGH AGAIN AND THE TAKEOFF WAS ABORTED. THE PILOT MADE ANOTHER RUN-UP CHECK AND ANOTHER TAKEOFF ATTEMPT WAS MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT. AS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED THRU 300 FEET MSL THE RT ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER. THE CLIMB WAS CONTINUED TO 500 FEET MSL BEFORE THE POWER FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS REDUCED AND THE PILOT SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND FEATHERED THE PROPELLER. THE ACFT DESCENDED AS THE PILOT INITIATED A TURN TOWARDS THE AIRPORT AND IMPACTED THE MARSHY GROUND 2.75 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. POST ACC EXAM REVEALED WATER AND RUST PARTICILES ON THE INJECTOR DIAPHRAGM AND ON THE FUEL INLET SCREEN. AN AD WAS ISSUED ON THIS ACFT REQUIRING DAILY AND POST REFUELING CHECKS OF THE FUEL SYS BY DRAINING TO AVOID THE ACCUMULATION OF WATER AND SEDIMENT.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,440 hours in all; 440 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2,333 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 21, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CCR Concord CA at 10:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,601 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:27 pm from CCR
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.
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.