Piper PA-28-160 accident near Mattituck, New York, July 13, 1987
On July 13, 1987 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-160, registered N36509, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mattituck, New York (Mattituck airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- July 13, 1987 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mattituck, New York · Mattituck · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-160 · all PA-28-160s on the register
- Registration
- N36509 · no longer on the register · serial 287816643
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG ARRIVAL, THE PLT TRIED TO CONTACT UNICOM, BUT WAS UNABLE. HE SAID HE CIRCLED THE 2200 FT RWY, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE WINDSOCK DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY WITH HAZE. HE ELECTED TO LAND ON RWY 19. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 500' FROM THE DEPARTURE END. DUE TO TREES AT THE DEPARTURE END, THE PLT ELECTED NOT TO ATTEMPT A GO-AROUND; HOWEVER, HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP ON THE REMAINING RWY. AFTER DEPARTING THE RWY, HE RECEIVED A HEAD INJURY & COULD NOT REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED AFTER TOUCHDOWN. THE PLT RPRTD THE WIND WAS FROM THE NORTHEAST AT 10 KTS.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 1,007 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Farmingdale NY at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 2,200 ft by 130 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 12:30 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.