Piper PA-28-161 accident near Mansfield, Massachusetts, September 1, 1988
On September 1, 1988 at about 1:15 am local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N9087D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mansfield, Massachusetts. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 1988 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Mansfield, Massachusetts
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N9087D · registry record · serial 2816001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT, WITH A CFI AND STUDENT ON BOARD, HAD JUST MADE A TOUCH AND GO LANDING AND WAS ABOUT ONE MILE FM THE ARPT, CLIMBING TO CRUISE, WHEN THE ENG LOST POWER. IT WAS DARK AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A LANDING ON A STATE HIGHWAY. THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A TRAFFIC ISLAND ON THE ROADWAY AND CAME TO REST IN THE FRONT YARD OF A RESIDENCE. AN FAA INSPECTOR WHO EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE SAID THE LEFT TANK WAS 1/4 TO 1/2 FULL OF FUEL, THE RIGHT TANK WAS EMPTY, AND THE GASCOLATOR BOWL CONTAINED ABOUT 3 OZ OF FUEL. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION BUT THE PLT TOLD THE INSPECTOR THAT HE TURNED SELECTOR OFF AFTER THE ACDT.
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: 1,152 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 800 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 892 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 3, 1988; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1B9 at 1:15 am
- Destination: OWD Norwood MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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 NYC88LA231.