Piper PA-28-161 accident near Stuart, Florida, February 19, 1988
On February 19, 1988 at about 1:11 am local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N43253, was destroyed in an accident near Stuart, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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
- February 19, 1988 · about 1:11 am local time
- Place
- Stuart, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N43253 · no longer on the register · serial 28-84-16018
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BFR DEPG AT NGT WITH NO FLT PLAN, NON-INST RATED PLT WAS ADZD OF PSBL CLDS FORMING AT A LOW LVL. EN ROUTE, HE GOT RADAR FLT FLWG. APCHG HIS DESTN, HE GOT VCTRS & ALT CHGS TO AVOID WX & OTR ACFT. AT 2001:04, RADAR SVC WAS TRMTD WITH PALM BCHAPCH CTL TO CONT VFR TO STUART ARPT. AT 2001:24, AFTER CTCG STUART TWR, THE PLT RCVD LNDG INSTRNS. AT 2004:10, HE SAID HE COULDN'T FIND THE ARPT & HAD CLDS AHEAD. AT 2005:45, HE SAID HE WAS IN CLDS & WAS CLIMBING TO 2500'. AT 2008:05, HE CHGD BACK TO APCH CTL FREQ & RPRTD HAVING A PRBLM WITH WX & REQUESTED HELP. WHEN ASKED WHAT HE WANTED, HE REPLIED: 'TURNAROUND SOUTHBOUND.' AT 2008:43, THE CTLR RPRTD RADAR CTC, 10 MI SOUTH OF STUART & ASKED (TWICE) ABT HIS INTENTIONS; BOTH TIMES, THE PLT ASKED FOR SOUTHBOUND HDG. AT 2009:01, CTLR GAVE HIM A 180 DEG VCTR & TOLD HIM TO MAINT VFR; THE PLT REPLIED HE WAS NOT VFR & SUBSEQUENTLY ASKED IF THE CTLR WANTED HIM TO CLMB. CTLR ADZD HE COULD CLIMB AT HIS DISCRETION, BUT HE (THE CTLR) COULDN'T REALLY TELL HIM WHAT TO DO; SOON THEREAFTER, CTC WITH ACFT WAS LOST & IT CRASHED IN THE OCEAN
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 85 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 11, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLL Ft Lauderdale FL
- Destination: SUA Stuart FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 080° at 9 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:10 am from PBI, 15 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.
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.