- Date
- March 29, 1987, 15:17 local (20:17 UTC)
- Place
- Dover, DE
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 19, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19870329079472A19870329079471A
- Case key
- 11312
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 rockwell was in level flight at 2800 ft and the Piper was climbing when midair collision occurred. Neither acft was operating under ATC. Neither plt saw the otr acft before the collision occurred. The bottom of the rockwell cabin and the left tiptank of the Piper collided. The collision angle between the acft was 60 degrees. The rockwell pilot was able to proceed to his intended destination. The left tip tank of the Piper separated from the wing. The Piper pilot, as a precaution, shut down the left engine and then diverted the flight to a nearby airport and landed without further incident.
The rockwell was in level flight at 2800 ft and the Piper was climbing when midair collision occurred. Neither acft was operating under ATC. Neither plt saw the otr aircraft before the collision occurred. The bottom of the rockwell cabin and the left tiptank of the Piper collided. The collision angle between the acft was 60 degrees. The rockwell pilot was able to proceed to his intended destination. The left tip tank of the Piper separated from the wing. The Piper pilot, as a precaution, shut down the left engine and then diverted the flight to a nearby airport and landed without further incident.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N5216Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-2264
- Airframe hours
- 3,346
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1DS, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- John Houyoux
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SBY · Salisbury, MD
- Destination
- MRB · Martinsburg, WV
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.
- Registration
- N1374J
- Reported as
- Rockwell 112A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 374
- Airframe hours
- 1,503
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1D6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert H. Brown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 31, 1987
- Departed
- GED · Georgetown, DE
- Destination
- THV · York, PA
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N5216Y
- Age
- 42
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,918 total · 269 in this make and model
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N1374J
- Age
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,416 total · 1,487 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DOV
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.