Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Opa Locka Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Miami Lakes, Florida 33014
Friday, June 17, 1988 19:27 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI), WHO SURVIVED, WAS FLYING THE ACFT FM THE RGT FNT SEAT WHILE THE OWNER/PLT WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT. THE FLT HAD PROGRESSED NORMALLY UNTIL THE PLTS RTRND TO THE ARPT TO LND. CLNC WAS RECEIVED TO LND ON RWY 9L. ACCORDING TO THE CFI, HE LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR, SELECTED 10 DEG OF FLAPS & NOTED HE NEEDED EXCESSIVE BACK PRESSURE ON THE CTL YOKETO KEEP THE ACFT FM DSCNDG. ALSO, HE STATED HE WAS UNABLE TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE WITH ELEC OR MANUAL TRIM. HE ASKED THE PLT/OWNER TO USE HIS ELEC TRIM (ON THE LEFT YOKE), BUT THIS DID NOT HELP. THE CFI STATED HE RETRACTED THE FLAPS & INCREASED PWR, BUT THE ACFT CONTD TO SETTLE. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT HIT A TREE & A POLE, THEN IMPACTED THE GND & STRUCK A VEHICLE BEFORE STOPPING. A FIRE ERUPTED & ALL 3 OCCUPANTS WERE BURNED WHILE EVACUATING THE ACFT. THE PLT/OWNER DIED FM HIS INJURIES. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND DRG THE INVESTIGATION. FLT TEST DATA CONCERNING THRUST- DRAG RATIO SHOWED THAT INDUCED DRAG INCREASES RAPIDLY BELOW 90 KTS. WITNESSES SAID THE ACFT WAS LOW/SLOW ON FINAL APCH.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/17/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1927 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | MIAMI LAKES |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33014 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | OPA LOCKA |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | OPE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 270 |
| Airport Elevation | 9 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1928 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OPI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 110 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1184 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 17 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1944 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 37277 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 11:50AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N560JB |
| NTSB Number | MIA88FA195 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-31-P |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-31-P |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 31P-7400195 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 1 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 1750 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LAURENCE D. GAVOLIC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 10340 SW 140 ST. |
| Aircraft Owner City | MIAMI |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33176 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | OPI |
| Departure City | OPA LOCKA |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1845 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 9L |
| Runway Length | 8002 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |