- Date
- September 25, 1987, 03:15 local (08:15 UTC)
- Place
- Demopolis, AL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N117EVPiper PA-31-350
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 11, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870925069319A
- Case key
- 7321
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt of an aircraft carrying an estimated 317 kilos of cocaine was attempting to land at an apt which did not have a published instrument approach procedure in IMC. Witnesses estimated that the visibility was no more than 1/2 mile in fog about 45 min after the estimated time of the accident. The aircraft collided with a tree about 1,400 feet short of the runway threshold and about 600 feet to the right of the extended runway centerline. Ground contact was made about 380 feet after colliding with the tree. The aircraft burned after ground impact. Pilot flight time was obtained from pilot's last CFI application.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N117EV
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-8152185
- Engine
- Lycoming LTIO-540-J2BD, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas Mcvea
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- 7A2 · Demopolis, AL
- Airport
- 7A2 · Demopolis Municipal, runway 4, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 170° at 3 knots
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MEI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.