Piper PA-18-135 accident near Daytona Beach, Florida, December 10, 1987
On December 10, 1987 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-135, registered N8767C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Daytona Beach, Florida (Spruce Creek 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
- December 10, 1987 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida · Spruce Creek
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-135 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N8767C · no longer on the register · serial 182857
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ALTHOUGH THE PLT STATED THAT HE PERFORMED A PREFLT & ENG RUNUP PRIOR TO DEPARTURE WITH NO PROBLEM NOTED, SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 350 FT, THE ENGINE RPM DROPPED TO & STAYED BETWEEN 1500 & 1600. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES, THEN THE GROUND. THE PAX STATED THAT THE ENG RPM WAS FLUCTUATING DURING THE GROUND CHECK. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE ENG DID NOT APPEAR TO BE DEVELOPING FULL POWER AT DEPARTURE. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE CARBURETOR DISCHARGE NOZZLE WAS PLUGGED BY CONTAMINANTS. THE CARBURETOR HEAT & MIXTURE CONTROL CABLES WERE DISCONNECTED. ENG RUN REVEALED THAT THE LEFT MAGNETO WAS IMPROPERLY TIMED AND ALL LEADS OF THE RT MAGNETO WERE SHORTED. LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS DONE ON 9/24/86.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all; 820 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 2,124 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,251 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 24, 1986; 141 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 30,000 ft; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:47 pm from DAB, 6 miles away
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.