- Date
- October 24, 1987, 21:45 local (Oct 25, 1987, 02:45 UTC)
- Place
- Brownsville, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4045MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871024063229A
- Case key
- 22587
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.
In flight collision with terrain/water
Terrain condition - waterFactor
Altitude - not maintainedCause
Visual lookout - inadequateCause
Light condition - dark nightFactor
Analysis
While circling an unlighted private airstrip, the pilot allowed the aircraft to descend into 2 feet of water causing substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4045M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-3535
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert T. Owens
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 5, 1987
- Departed
- LRD · Laredo, TX
- Destination
- Brownsville, TX
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 295 total · 285 in this make and model · 262 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 110° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.