Piper PA-34-200T accident near Rutland, Vermont, March 21, 1987
On March 21, 1987, a Piper PA-34-200T, registered N2083K, was destroyed in an accident near Rutland, Vermont (Rutland airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- March 21, 1987
- Place
- Rutland, Vermont · Rutland
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200T · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N2083K · registry record · serial 347970073
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG ARRIVAL, THE PLT WAS CLEARED FOR AN LDA/NDB APCH TO RWY 19. WHEN SHE 'WENT VISUAL' ON THE APCH, A CHECK OF THE VASI SHOWED SHE WAS HI, SO SHE SLIPPED THE ACFT TO LOSE ALT. THE WINDS WERE RPRTD AS LIGHT & VARIABLE, BUT PLT RPRTD THAT DRGTHE LNDG, THERE WAS A SLIGHT TAIL WIND & THE ACFT WAS SLIGHTLY FAST WHICH CAUSED IT TO FLOAT. SHE ESTD THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RWY. AT THAT POINT, THERE SEEMED TO BE SUFFICIENT RWY REMAINING; HOWEVER, THE PLT NOTED NO BRAKING ACTION ON THE WET RWY. THE RATED PASSENGER IN THE RGT FRONT SEAT ALSO APPLIED BRAKES, BUT TO NO AVAIL. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CONTD OFF THE RWY, WENT OVER A 20 FT EMBANKMENT & CAME TO REST INVERTED.
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 single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 816 hours in all; 104 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 517 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OWD Norwood MA at 8:15 pm
- Destination: RUT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.