Salisbury-Wicomico County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Salisbury, Maryland 21801
Monday, April 20, 1987 20:47 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ON A FLT FROM HILTON HEAD, SC TO WOODSTOWN, NJ, THE PLT ENCTRD HEADWINDS & DIVERTED TO SALISBURY, MD, A LESS DISTANT ARPT. DRG ARRIVAL AT 1944, HE WAS PROVIDED WX INFO CONCERNING A LOW CEILING & VISIBILITY. AT 1955, HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO HOLD UPON REACHING A CLNC LIMIT & WAS ADZD TO EXPECT FURTHER CLNC AT 2030. THE PLT HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING ESTABLISHEDON THE VOR RWY 5 APCH & WAS VECTORED ON FINAL APCH. AT 2046:53, ABOUT 2 MIN AFTER BEING ESTABLISHED ON THE APCH, THE PLT STATED THE ACFT RAN OUT OF FUEL & DECLARED AN EMERG. DRG AN EMERG LANDING, ABOUT 5 MI SW OF THE ARPT, THE ACFT CRASHED ON WOODED TERRAIN AFTER BEING AIRBORNE APRX 4.3 HRS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/20/1987
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 2047
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City SALISBURY
Event State MARYLAND
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 21801
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport SALISBURY-WICOMICO COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SBY
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 52
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2052 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 217
Weather Observation Facility ID SBY
Elevation of weather observation facility 55
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 4
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 800
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 14
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 40
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
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 --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1680
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 20 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2120
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35018
Date of most recent change to record Apr 19 2002 9:59AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5821P
NTSB Number BFO87FA031
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-24-250
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-24-250
Aircraft Serial Number 24902
Certified Max Gross Weight 2800
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Dec 4 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 40
Airframe Hours 2216
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DAVID COLLINS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 562 NINTH STREET
Aircraft Owner City SOUTH SEAVILLE
Aircraft Owner State NJ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 08246
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name DAVID COLLIN
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 529 NINTH ST.
Operator City SOUTH SEAVILLE
Operator State NJ
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 08246
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 No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 49J
Departure City HILTON HEAD
Departure State SC
Departure Country
Departure Time 1628
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code SBY
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 5
Runway Length 5000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --