Piper PA-44-180 incident near Jacksonville, Florida, June 3, 1987
On June 3, 1987 at about 10:28 pm local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N180PA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Jacksonville, Florida (Craig Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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 incident. 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 3, 1987 · about 10:28 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · Craig Municipal · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N180PA · no longer on the register · serial 447995405
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE RT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING GEAR REVEALED THAT THE STRUT HOUSING (TRUNNION) FAILED DUE TO OVERLOAD WHICH WAS PRECIPITATED BY FATIGUE AND CAUSED BY A STRESS RISER LOCATED ON A MANUFACTURING SEAM.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,368 hours in all; 605 in this make and model; 320 in the last 90 days; 4,233 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,349 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 22, 1987; 71 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-EIA6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 4,007 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:42 pm from CRG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.