Cessna 172I accident near Pelahatchie, Mississippi, February 14, 1987
On February 14, 1987 at about 10:40 pm local time, a Cessna 172I, registered N8474L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pelahatchie, Mississippi (Payne airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. 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
- February 14, 1987 · about 10:40 pm local time
- Place
- Pelahatchie, Mississippi · Payne · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172I · all 172Is on the register
- Registration
- N8474L · no longer on the register · serial 17256674
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT HE WAS PRACTICING EMERG POWER-OFF LANDINGS, WHEN, ON FINAL APCH, REALIZED HE WOULDN'T CLEAR THE TREES LOCATED WEST OF THE RWY. HE THEN CLEARED THEM BY ADDING POWER THOUGHT THE ACFT THEN DESCENDED IN A FLARE ATTITUDE UNTIL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND APRX 200 FEET SHORT OF THE RWY. THE ACFT THEN NOSED OVER & CAME TO REST INVERTED.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 674 hours in all; 201 in this make and model; 334 in the last 90 days; 369 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,860 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 2,400 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:40 pm from JAN, 11 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.