Piper PA-23-250 accident near Everglades City, Florida, October 2, 1987
On October 2, 1987 at about 10:10 am local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N3RP, was destroyed in an accident near Everglades City, Florida. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. 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
- October 2, 1987 · about 10:10 am local time
- Place
- Everglades City, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N3RP · registry record · serial 27-4597
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT ATTEMPTED A VFR FLT OVER THE EVERGLADES DURING THE HRS OF DARKNESS. THE ACFT CRASHED INTO A SWAMPY AREA AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHILE IN A 90 DEGREE LEFT BANK. THE ACFT DISINTEGRATED ON IMPACT. A CONVECTIVE SIGMET WAS ISSUED ABOUT 25 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE. IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER THE FLT RECEIVED THE SIGMET INFORMATION. AN EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK RANGER PILOT, WHO ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AFTER THE ACCIDENT, STATED THAT THE AREA INTO WHICH THE FLT WAS OPERATING WAS DESOLATE, WITH NO GROUND LIGHTS & NO DISCERNABLE HORIZON DURING THE HRS OF DARKNESS. THE SURFACE WX OBSERVATION AT FORT MYERS, ABT 50 MILES NW OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, INDICATED 4,500 FOOT BROKEN CLOUDS AND 7 MILES VISIBILITY. WX SATELLITE PHOTOS INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA WHERE THE ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE.
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: 1,025 hours in all; 240 in this make and model; 950 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Applied Mechanical Services,
The flight
- Departed from: FMY Ft. Myers FL
- Destination: OPF Opa Locka FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 am from FMY, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N3RP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.