Cessna 172I accident near Ellisville, Mississippi, June 20, 1987
On June 20, 1987 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172I, registered N8446L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ellisville, Mississippi (Purvis airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. 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
- June 20, 1987 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Ellisville, Mississippi · Purvis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172I · all 172Is on the register
- Registration
- N8446L · no longer on the register · serial 17256646
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BFR THE FLT, THE ARPT OWNER ADZD THE PLT NOT TO FLY, SINCE HE (THE PLT) APPEARED TO BE INTOXICATED. THE PLT 'SAID OK & LEFT,' BUT RETURNED APRX 1 HR LATER. A WITNESS RPRTD THE PLT ATMTD TO TAKEOFF WITH FULL FLAPS. DRG THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THEACFT DRIFTED OFF THE RWY, HIT SOME PLASTIC MARKERS, THEN REENTERED THE RWY & CONTD TAKING OFF. ACCORDING TO 2 WITNESSES,THE PLANE WAS IN A NOSE HI ATTITUDE WITH LOW SPEED AFTER LIFT-OFF & CONTD FLYING JUST ABOVE THE GROUND. SUBSEQUENTLY, ITENTERED A LEFT BANK & CRASHED INTO TREES NEAR THE END OF THE RWY. AFTER THE ACDNT, THE FLAPS WERE FND FULLY EXTDD; THE PLT'S SEAT BELT WASN'T FASTENED & HE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE RGT FNT (PAX'S) SEAT WAS FND OFF THE SEAT TRACK; THE FNTSEAT STOPS FOR THAT SEAT HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED. NO OTHER MECHANICAL PRBLM WAS FND. THE PLT STATED THAT HIS SEAT SLIPPEDBACKWARD ON TAKEOFF & THE PAX GRABBED THE CTL WHEEL & PULLED BACK, CAUSING THE ACFT TO STALL. POH RCMDD A MAX OF 10 DEG FLAPS FOR TAKEOFF. A BLOOD SAMPLE TAKEN JUST AFTER THE ACDNT SHOWED THE PLT HAD AN ALCOHOL LVL OF 183 MG/DL (0.183%).
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: 272 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 220 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,320 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 31, 1986; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,300 ft; not recorded at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from MEI, 50 miles away
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.
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.