Nantucket Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Nantucket, Massachusetts 02554
Thursday, April 16, 1987 22:08 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PIPER PA-23-250 ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND AFTER CROSSING THE THRESHOLD AND OBSERVING THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE NOT ON DURING A NIGHT INSTRUMENT APPROACH. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE ADDED FULL POWER AND RETRACTED THE WING FLAPS. THE PROCEDURE IN THE PIPER MANUAL IS TO ADD FULL POWER, RETRACT THE LANDING GEAR, AND THEN SLOWLY RETRACT THE WING FLAPS. THE AIRCRAFT MADE GROUND CONTACT WITH THE LANDING GEAR STILL EXTENDED AND IT PASSED THROUGH A DRAINAGE DITCH.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/16/1987
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 2208
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City NANTUCKET
Event State MASSACHUSETTS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 02554
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 NANTUCKET
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ACK
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 48
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2100 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID ACY
Elevation of weather observation facility 48
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 4
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2165
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 17 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 800
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35642
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:19PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N40395
NTSB Number NYC87LA123
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-23-250
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-23-250
Aircraft Serial Number 277305158
Certified Max Gross Weight 5200
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 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 70
Airframe Hours 4715
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name HAVERFORD BRISTOL, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 194 8TH AVE., APT #3
Aircraft Owner City NEW YORK
Aircraft Owner State NY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 10011
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name HAVERFORD-COVINGTON,INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 25
Operator City SO.WOODSTOCK
Operator State VT
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 05071
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 TEB
Departure City TETERBORO
Departure State NJ
Departure Country
Departure Time 2030
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 24
Runway Length 6303
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --