- Date
- January 17, 1988, 14:39 local (20:39 UTC)
- Place
- Creve Coeur, MO
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1727JPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 25, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880117000619A
- Case key
- 34481
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
Witnesses stated that the aircraft suddenly started a vertical climb from a straight and level flight attitude. The airplane lost momentum while in the climb, then it nosed down and dove towards the ground. It exploded upon impact and was destroyed in the ensuing post-crash fire. Crush lines on the fuselage and deformities on the wings indicate that the angle of main impact was approximately 46 degrees below the horizontal plane. Attachment, continuity, and correct travel were established on all primary and secondary flight control surfaces and systems. An engine teardown inspection produced no evidence that would suggest the occurrence of an in-flight powerplant failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1727J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-24139
- Airframe hours
- 1,268
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Young, Raymond P.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 2, 1987 · 337 hours before
- Airport
- 1HO · Creve Coeur, runway 16, 2,250 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 800 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,600 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- STL, 7 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.
Other investigations on N1727J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.