- Date
- November 9, 1987, 21:52 local (Nov 10, 1987, 02:52 UTC)
- Place
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N82811Piper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871109063499A
- Case key
- 32086
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, familiar with the arpt, overflew it 2 times in an attempt to activate the rwy lights using the acft's radio as well as to observe the wind sock. After observing a northerly wind & being unable to activate the lights he elected to land on rwy 36 rather than divert to St. Petersburg-clearwater intl arpt. The acft floated over the numbers, touched down aprx 528 ft from the departure end of the rwy, & as it approached the seawall, he applied full up elevator. The acft then became airborne momentarily, flew over the seawall and landed in tampa bay in aprx 18 feet of water. The plt stated that after the accident he observed the winds to be from the south. The rwy lights were checked by FAA personnel to insure that they could be activated by using the UNICOM frequency 122.95, & found to operate satisfactory. A note found by police in the wreckage read 'lights 121.95.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N82811
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8316003
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bay Air Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- LNA · Palm Beach, FL
- Airport
- SPG · Albert Whitted, runway 36, 2,801 × 150 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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 126 total · 30 in this make and model · 53 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 13 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SPG
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.