# Accident 19871028083399A: Piper PA24250, Buttonwillow, CA, October 28, 1987

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 28, 1987, 18:41 local time
- Place: Buttonwillow, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.4296° N, 119.4903° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.4296&lon=-119.4903&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5431P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5431P-2014-10-27) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA24250
- Reported engine: LYC O540A1A5
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 418 total, 300 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX88FA028](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX88FA028) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19871028083399A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

APPEARS LOST CONTROL IN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS. LACKED RECENT IFR TIME AND NIGHT TIME. IMPACT HIGH SPEED VERTICAL.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX88FA028](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX88FA028), Oct 29, 1987: Piper PA-24-250 (N5431P), Buttonwillow, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal

## Other reports on N5431P (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19791030053329I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19791030053329I), Oct 30, 1979: Piper PA24250 (N5431P), Frederick, MD, Minor damage. Pilot took off and continued night flight with battery discharing. Misused emergency gear system.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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