Piper PA-31-P accident near Miami Lakes, Florida, June 17, 1988
On June 17, 1988 at about 11:27 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-P, registered N560JB, was destroyed in an accident near Miami Lakes, Florida (Opa Locka airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured. 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
- June 17, 1988 · about 11:27 pm local time
- Place
- Miami Lakes, Florida · Opa Locka · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-P · all PA-31-Ps on the register
- Registration
- N560JB · no longer on the register · serial 31P-7400195
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI), WHO SURVIVED, WAS FLYING THE ACFT FM THE RGT FNT SEAT WHILE THE OWNER/PLT WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT. THE FLT HAD PROGRESSED NORMALLY UNTIL THE PLTS RTRND TO THE ARPT TO LND. CLNC WAS RECEIVED TO LND ON RWY 9L. ACCORDING TO THE CFI, HE LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR, SELECTED 10 DEG OF FLAPS & NOTED HE NEEDED EXCESSIVE BACK PRESSURE ON THE CTL YOKETO KEEP THE ACFT FM DSCNDG. ALSO, HE STATED HE WAS UNABLE TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE WITH ELEC OR MANUAL TRIM. HE ASKED THE PLT/OWNER TO USE HIS ELEC TRIM (ON THE LEFT YOKE), BUT THIS DID NOT HELP. THE CFI STATED HE RETRACTED THE FLAPS & INCREASED PWR, BUT THE ACFT CONTD TO SETTLE. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT HIT A TREE & A POLE, THEN IMPACTED THE GND & STRUCK A VEHICLE BEFORE STOPPING. A FIRE ERUPTED & ALL 3 OCCUPANTS WERE BURNED WHILE EVACUATING THE ACFT. THE PLT/OWNER DIED FM HIS INJURIES. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND DRG THE INVESTIGATION. FLT TEST DATA CONCERNING THRUST- DRAG RATIO SHOWED THAT INDUCED DRAG INCREASES RAPIDLY BELOW 90 KTS. WITNESSES SAID THE ACFT WAS LOW/SLOW ON FINAL APCH.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,444 hours in all; 270 in this make and model; 224 in the last 90 days; 79 in the last 30 days; 3,282 as pilot in command; 2,864 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,750 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 1, 1988; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIGO-541-E1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: OPI Opa Locka FL at 10:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9L, 8,002 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:28 pm from OPI, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.