Piper PA-18-150 accident near Byron, California, September 15, 1987
On September 15, 1987 at about 2:18 am local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N999BA, was destroyed in an accident near Byron, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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
- September 15, 1987 · about 2:18 am local time
- Place
- Byron, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N999BA · registry record · serial 187709138
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITH THE WIND OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST AT 8 TO 10 KNOTS, THE PLT WAS TAXIING THE ACFT IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION AT A HIGH ENOUGH SPEED TO KEEP 'ON THE STEP'. WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE ACFT TO A SOUTHWESTERLY HEADING FOR TKOF, THE ACFT FAILED TO RESPOND. RATHER THAN ABORT THE TKOF, HE CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD, JUDGING THAT HE HAD SUFFICIENT ROOM TO TKOF IN THAT DIRECTION. AT 38 TO 40 KNOTS, WHILE APPROACHING A LEVEE, HE PULLED THE ACFT OFF THE WATER. THE RIGHT FLOAT GRAZED THE TOP OF THE LEVEE, CAUSING THE ACFT TO VEER TO THE RIGHT FOLLOWED BY THE RIGHT WING COLLIDING WITH A TELEPHONE POLE.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 9,540 hours in all; 180 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,107 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1986; 180 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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 LAX87LA336.