Demopolis Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Demopolis, Alabama 36732
Friday, September 25, 1987 3:15 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT OF AN AIRCRAFT CARRYING AN ESTIMATED 317 KILOS OF COCAINE WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT AN APT WHICH DID NOT HAVE A PUBLISHED INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE IN IMC. WITNESSES ESTIMATED THAT THE VISIBILITY WAS NO MORE THAN 1/2 MILE IN FOG ABOUT 45 MIN AFTER THE ESTIMATED TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A TREE ABOUT 1,400 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD AND ABOUT 600 FEET TO THE RIGHT OF THE EXTENDED RUNWAY CENTERLINE. GROUND CONTACT WAS MADE ABOUT 380 FEET AFTER COLLIDING WITH THE TREE. THE AIRCRAFT BURNED AFTER GROUND IMPACT. PILOT FLIGHT TIME WAS OBTAINED FROM PILOT'S LAST CFI APPLICATION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/25/1987
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 315
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City DEMOPOLIS
Event State ALABAMA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 36732
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport DEMOPOLIS MUNICIPAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 7A2
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 220
Airport Elevation 112
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 250 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID MEI
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 12
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 170
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1716
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 25 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1020
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35062
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:48PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N117EV
NTSB Number ATL87FA262
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 None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-31-350
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-31-350
Aircraft Serial Number 31-8152185
Certified Max Gross Weight 7000
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 8
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name THOMAS MCVEA
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7076 ST. MARY
Aircraft Owner City BATON ROUGE
Aircraft Owner State LA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 70811
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) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code 7A2
Destination City DEMOPOLIS
Destination State AL
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 4
Runway Length 5000
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --