Piper PA-18-135 accident near Greenville, Maine, April 28, 1987
On April 28, 1987 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-135, registered N114, was destroyed in an accident near Greenville, Maine (Greenville Seaplane Base airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 1987 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, Maine · Greenville Seaplane Base
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-135 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N114 · registry record · serial 18-3937
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS TAKING OFF FROM A LAKE DURING WINDY CONDITIONS. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 60 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE. THE NOSE DROPPED AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE WATER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WAS TURBULENCE ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE LAKE.
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 sea
- Flight time: 568 hours in all; 391 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,304 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 31, 1986; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: OLD Old Town ME
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,000 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 15 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC87DNC05.