Piper PA-24-250 accident near Buttonwillow, California, October 29, 1987
On October 29, 1987 at about 2:41 am local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N5431P, was destroyed in an accident near Buttonwillow, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- October 29, 1987 · about 2:41 am local time
- Place
- Buttonwillow, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N5431P · no longer on the register · serial 24-485
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A PIPER PA-24-250 COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN WHILE ON AN IFR FLIGHT. THE PILOT RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING FROM FSS. WHILE EN ROUTE, RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST, THEN REGAINED. THE PILOT STATED TO ATC THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE HIS FLT TO HIS DEST. THE ACFT AGAIN WAS LOST FROM RADAR WHILE PLT WAS EXECUTING FREQUENCY CHANGE. WITNESSES REPORTED ACFT DESCENDING IN VERTICAL SPIRAL AND THEN IMPACTING GND VERTICALLY. WX RPRTS AND FORECASTS INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS, TURBULENCE, AND LIGHTNING WERE PRESENT ALONG FLIGHT. TWO PLT RPRTS INDICATED PRESENCE OF MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULANCE IN VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, WITHIN 1,000 FT OF ACFT CRUISE ALT. REVIEW OF PILOT'S LOGBOOK INDICATED HE WAS NOT IFR-CURRENT. EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT DISCLOSE THE DAMAGE BY THE LIGHTNING STRIKE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 418 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 403 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,849 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 28, 1986; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNA Santa Ana CA at 1:32 am
- Destination: CCR Concord CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from BFL, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.