- Date
- April 25, 1987, 20:20 local (Apr 26, 1987, 01:20 UTC)
- Place
- Valley, NE
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1145QPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870425011319A
- Case key
- 34289
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
At aprx 2020 CDT, witnesses saw the acft as the plt made svrl low passes over the platte river near Valley, NE. On the last pass, the acft struck power lines, then crashed in the river. The wreckage came to rest in the main channel of the river in aprx 25 ft of water. An exam revealed that the rgt wing & top of the acft had hit the power lines. If the acft had been aprx 2.5 ft lower, it would have cleared below the cables.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1145Q
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7790380
- Airframe hours
- 3,452
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Proflight, Inc.
- Registered owner
- George C. Claude
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 10, 1987 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- MLE · Millard, NE
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
- 36
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 478 total · 342 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.