Piper PA-28-181 accident near Ft. Pierce, Florida, October 31, 1986
On October 31, 1986 at about 5:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N8969C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ft. Pierce, Florida (St. Lucie County airport). It was a personal 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).
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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
- October 31, 1986 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Ft. Pierce, Florida · St. Lucie County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N8969C · registry record · serial 28-7690173
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A USCG HELICOPTER HAD LANDED ON RWY 4 MOMENTS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AND HAD CLEARED THE RWY. THE HELICOPTER HAD ADVISED THE ACFT ON UNICOM FREQUENCY OF HIS INTENT TO LAND. THE ACFT ADVISED THE HELICOPTER THAT HE HAD HIM IN SIGHT AND WOULD FOLLOW HIM IN. THE HELICOPTER OFFERED TO 'SIDE STEP' AND ALLOW THE ACFT TO LAND FIRST. THE OFFER WAS DECLINED. THE ACFT PILOT STATED THAT HE SAW THE HELICOPTER OVER THE RWY ABOUT 1/2 MI AHEAD OF HIM & HAD CONSIDERED GOING AROUND, BUT DECIDED AGAINST IT SINCE HE, THE PILOT, WAS IN 'SMOOTH AIR'. DURING THE FLARE, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LOST CONTROL OF THE ACFT.
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: 900 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 68 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 22, 1986; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SUA Stuart FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 5,000 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:26 pm from VRB, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 MIA87LA018.