- Date
- October 31, 1986, 12:25 local (17:25 UTC)
- Place
- Ft. Pierce, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8969CPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861031082329A
- Case key
- 31817
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
A USCG helicopter had landed on rwy 4 moments before the accident and had cleared the rwy. The helicopter had advised the acft on UNICOM frequency of his intent to land. The acft advised the helicopter that he had him in sight and would follow him in. The helicopter offered to 'side step' and allow the acft to land first. The offer was declined. The acft pilot stated that he saw the helicopter over the rwy about 1/2 mi ahead of him & had considered going around, but decided against it since he, the pilot, was in 'smooth air'. During the flare, the pilot stated that he lost control of the acft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8969C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7690173
- Airframe hours
- 2,600
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alan V. Molner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 22, 1986 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- SUA · Stuart, FL
- Airport
- FPR · St. Lucie County, runway 4, 5,000 × 200 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 900 total · 800 in this make and model · 68 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VRB, 12 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.