Piper PA-28R-201T accident near Sarasota, Florida, October 31, 1987
On October 31, 1987 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-201T, registered N2746Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sarasota, Florida (Sarasota-Bradenton airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- October 31, 1987 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sarasota, Florida · Sarasota-Bradenton
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201T PA-28R-201 · all PA-28R-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N2746Q · registry record · serial 28R-7703075
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG ARRIVAL, WHILE BEING TRANSFERRED FROM TAMPA APCH CTL TO TWR CTL, THE PLT WAS CLRD TO LND ON RWY 14. BFR LNDG, HE WAS ADZD THE WIND WAS FM 070 DEG AT 15 KTS. RWY 4 WAS AVAILABLE, BUT IT WAS NOT SUGGESTED BY THE TWR CTLR OR REQD BY THE PLT. THE PLT STATED THAT DRG THE LNDG, THE ACFT ENCTRD A STRONG GUST OF WIND & TOUCHED DOWN HARD. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT WENT OFF THE RGT SIDE OF THE RWY INTO A GRASS AREA & WAS DAMAGED. DRG THE OCCURRENCE, THE NOSE & RGT MAIN GEAR FAILED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,650 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,622 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 12, 1987; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-FB1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Montgomery AL at 5:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 7,003 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from SRQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.