Piper PA-28-180 accident near Colville, Washington, October 23, 1987
On October 23, 1987 at about 2:45 am local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N15653, was destroyed in an accident near Colville, Washington (Colville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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 23, 1987 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Colville, Washington · Colville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N15653 · registry record · serial 7305110
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ALTHOUGH THE RECENTLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT CHECKED OUT BY THE FIXED BASE OPERATOR FOR NIGHT FLIGHT AND HAD BEEN WARNED TO RETURN BEFORE SUNSET, HE DEPARTED THE AIRPORT DURING DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS. WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRCRAFT CLIMB OUT AND THEN EXECUTE A RIGHT TURN BACK TOWARDS THE AIRPORT DURING WHICH THE CLIMB EVOLVED INTO A DESCENT. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A RIGHT WING DOWN NOSE LOW ATTITUDE ON A BEARING CLOSELY APPROXIMATING THE DOWNWIND FOR THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY AND AT A POINT ROUGHLY 1600 FEET ABEAM THE EXTENDED RUNWAY CENTERLINE. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS EVIDENT; NOR WAS THERE ANY EVIDENCE OF ANY PREIMPACT PILOT IMPAIRMENT.
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: 80 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 34 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 12, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Aero West Flight Center
The flight
- Departed from: 63S Colville WA at 2:44 am
- Destination: 0S6 Vancouver WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 2,396 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 am from 63S
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.
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 SEA88FA012.