Aero Commander 680FL accident near St Thomas, September 2, 1987
On September 2, 1987 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Aero Commander 680FL, registered N111UA, was substantially damaged in an accident near St Thomas (Cyril E. King airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 7 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
- September 2, 1987 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- St Thomas · Cyril E. King
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 680FL · all 680FLs on the register
- Registration
- N111UA · registry record · serial 1370-43
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER A LOSS OF HYD PRESSURE, THE RGT MAIN GEAR WOULD NOT FULLY EXTD WHEN THE PLT TRIED TO LOWER THE GEAR FOR LNDG. ALL ATMTS TO LOCK IT INTO PLACE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. WHEN THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN DRG THE LNDG, THE RGT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED.THE ACFT SLID TO A STOP & THE OCCUPANTS WERE EVACUATED. AN INSPN OF THE RGT MAIN GEAR ASSY REVEALED THE HYD ACTUATING CYL HAD FAILED AT THE SNAP RING GROOVE & THE PNEUMATIC ACTUATING CYL HAD FAILED AT THE ROD END. BOTH FAILED FM OVERLOAD.THIS WAS THE 2ND OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE HYD ACTUATING CYL IN 26 FLT HRS OF OPN. ACCORDING TO A MECHANIC, WHO WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT, THIS FAILURE WAS CONSISTENT WITH EXCESSIVE PRESSURE IN THE SYS DUE TO A PRESSURE RELIEF/UNLOADERVALVE MALFUNCTION.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,986 in this make and model; 89 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,769 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 31, 1987; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,500 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-720-B1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MKPD Dominica,Uk OF at 5:38 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 9, 5,358 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:25 pm from STT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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 MIA87LA238.