19871225071709A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28RT-201 · Rutherfordton, NC · December 25, 1987

Date
December 25, 1987 · 17:55 local
Place
Rutherfordton, NC
Airport
Rutherford Co
Phase of flight
Final Approach-IFR
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N2869C
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL88FA068
Reported as
Piper PA28RT201
Reported engine
Lycoming IO360C1C6
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
4
Pilot’s flight hours
265 total69 in this make and model29 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Crashed on a mountain while attempting an NDB approach to airport. Struck tree prior to impact. Below IFR minimums.

As the FAA filed it

CRASHED ON A MOUNTAIN WHILE ATTEMPTING AN NDB APPROACH TO AIRPORT. STRUCK TREE PRIOR TO IMPACT. BELOW IFR MINIMUMS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.