Piper J-4 accident near St. Paul, Pennsylvania, October 25, 1987
On October 25, 1987 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Piper J-4, registered N28205, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Paul, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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
- October 25, 1987 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- St. Paul, Pennsylvania
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-4 · all J-4s on the register
- Registration
- N28205 · registry record · serial 4-1132
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS ENROUTE FROM MOUNT PLEASANT TO WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA ON A HEADING OF 140 DEGREES AND AT 4500 FEET. ABOUT 25-30 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, ENGINE POWER LOSS WAS EXPERIENCED. THE PILOT SWITCHED FROM THE AUXILLIARY TO THE MAIN FUEL TANK AND APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT BUT THERE WAS NO CHANGE. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED OVER SOME TREES THEN DROPPED TO THE GROUND. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT DISCLOSED A CRACKED INDUCTION MANIFOLD, CAUSING A LEAN MIXTURE.
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: 1,080 hours in all; 1,080 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 1,050 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: G07 Mt. Pleasant PA at 2:00 pm
- Destination: W16 Winchester VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.