Piper PA-31-350 accident near Miami, Florida, April 3, 1987
On April 3, 1987 at about 7:33 am local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N506ES, was substantially damaged in an accident near Miami, Florida. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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 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
- April 3, 1987 · about 7:33 am local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N506ES · no longer on the register · serial 31-7952234
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CLIMB TO CRUISE THE PILOT LOST ONE BLADE OF THE THREE BLADED RIGHT PROPELLER, DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE HUB. EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT COUNTERWEIGHT BUSHINGS WERE NOT INSTALLED ALLOWING A HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION TO EXIST, CAUSING THE FAILURE OF THE HUB.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,265 hours in all; 123 in this make and model; 127 in the last 90 days; 3,105 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,742 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 26, 1987; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming LTIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIA Miami FL at 7:30 am
- Destination: SRQ Sarasota FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 am from MIA, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.