Piper PA-32RT-300 accident near Burlington, Vermont, December 31, 1987
On December 31, 1987 at about 10:42 pm local time, a Piper PA-32RT-300, registered N2243J, was destroyed in an accident near Burlington, Vermont (Burlington Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. 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 31, 1987 · about 10:42 pm local time
- Place
- Burlington, Vermont · Burlington Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32RT-300 PA-32RT-30 · all PA-32RT-300s on the register
- Registration
- N2243J · registry record · serial 32R-7985054
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG FLT FM WILMINGTON, DE TO RUTLAND, VT, THE PLT DIVERTED TO BINGHAMTON AFTER RECG THE ALBANY WX & LEARNING RUTLAND WX WAS NOT AVAILABLE. AFTER LNDG, HE TOLD FSS PSNL HE PHONED RUTLAND & WAS TOLD THE WX WAS GOOD. HE GOT 2 WX BRIEFINGS BFR CONTG THE FLT & WAS ADZD OF FLT PRECAUTIONS FOR ICING & TURBC, AS WELL AS PIREPS CONCERNING ICING. HE FILED A FLT PLAN &CONTD ON TO RUTLAND. WHILE APCHG RUTLAND AT 6000', HE RPRTD MOD ICING. HE REQD CLNC TO CLB & WAS CLRD TO 8000', BUT HAD DIFFICULTY CLBG. HE REQD & RECD VECTORS TO BURLINGTON, WHICH HAD 3500' OVC & GOOD VIS. WHILE EN ROUTE, HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINT MIN SAFE ALT OF 5500' & DECLARED AN EMERG. AFTER DSCNDG BLO CLDS, HE SAID ICE WAS COMING OFF THE ACFT. HE RPRTD THE RWY IN SIGHT & WAS CLRD TO LND. WITNESSES SAID THAT ON FINAL APCH, THE ACFT LOST 150 TO 200 FT, THEN REGAINED SOME ALT SVRL TIMES. DRG 3RD LOSS OF ALT, IT HIT THE GND IN A FLAT ATTITUDE & SLID APRX 300' ONTO THE RWY. THE ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED FOR FLT IN KNOWN ICING CONDS. PITOT HEAT SW FND IN OFF PSN. DC-9 CREW RPRTD 15 KT LOSS OF SPEED ON FINAL APCH.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 734 hours in all; 230 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 610 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,401 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 30, 1987; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BGM Binghamton NY at 8:01 pm
- Destination: RUT Rutland VT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 15, 7,807 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 170° at 22 knots, gusting 32
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,500 ft; not recorded at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from BVT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 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.