Aero Commander 560-F accident near Opa Locka, Florida, September 24, 1987
On September 24, 1987 at about 10:32 pm local time, a Aero Commander 560-F, registered N61BT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Opa Locka, Florida (Opa Locka airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 24, 1987 · about 10:32 pm local time
- Place
- Opa Locka, Florida · Opa Locka · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 560-F · all 560-Fs on the register
- Registration
- N61BT · registry record · serial 1405-66
- 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 HAD JUST COMPLETED HIS THIRD TOUCH & GO LDG WHEN THE GEAR COLLAPSED WHILE THE ACFT WAS ON THE RWY. A PLT/MECHANIC WHO ASSISTED IN REMOVING THE ACFT FROM THE RWY STATED THAT JUST AFTER THE ACCIDENT, HE PEERED INTO THE COCKPIT & OBSERVED THE LDG GEAR HANDLE SAFETY LOCK WAS NOT IN PLACE. HE STATED THE PLT WAS KNOWN TO CONDUCT TOUCH & GO LDGS WITHOUT THE LOCK IN PLACE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE LDG GEAR WAS EXAMINED & NO EVIDENCE OF MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE WAS NOTED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,910 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,930 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 11, 1987; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,500 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IGO-540-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OPF
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9L, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 pm from OPF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 MIA87LA258.