- Date
- September 19, 1987, 18:00 local (Sep 20, 1987, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sacramento, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6187HPiper JC3-65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 6, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870919053599A
- Case key
- 25692
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 pilot was observed to be flying at a very low altitude by two separate witnesses. They stated that he was flying and maneuvering at approximately 15-20 feet AGL and buzzing powerlines. The pilot stated that he can not remember what happened and that the engine must have quit. The engine operated normally when test-run.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6187H
- Reported as
- Piper JC3-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 19357
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- American Aero Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Sacramento Aero Services, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Q96 · Sacramento, CA
- Destination
- Q96
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 261 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SAC, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.