- Date
- August 28, 1987, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Selinsgrove, PA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4003PPiper PA-23-160
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 1, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870828083459A
- Case key
- 30510
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 conducting a demonstration flight in an overweight aircraft in conditions of low ceilings and fog. After a touch and go landing the aircraft stalled during the takeoff then collided with the ground. Exam of the wreckage did not disclose any pre-existing malfunctions or failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4003P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-1478
- Airframe hours
- 3,960
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Karl Kovacs
- Registered owner
- Penn Valley Airport Authority
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 17, 1987 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- SEG · Selinsgrove, PA
- Airport
- SEG · Selinsgrove, runway 35, 3,900 × 75 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
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,597 total · 11 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 600 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IPT, 24 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.