Greenville Downtown Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Greenville, South Carolina 29601
Monday, October 12, 1987 10:26 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLTS TRIP HOME HAD BEEN DELAYED ONE DAY DUE TO WX ENRT. HE HAD CALLED THE FSS EARLY FOR A BRIEFING AND HAD BEEN ADVISED THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO TROUBLE FOR A NOON DEPART TIME. HE DEPTD CLEMSON ABOUT 1000 AND ACTIVATED HIS VFR FLT PLAN. HE THEN CONTACTED GSP APCH CONTROL FOR CLEARANCE THROUGH THE GSP AREA. EIGHT MINUTES PRIOR TO THE MISHAP, THE PLT REQ CLEARANCE TO CLB TO 7,500 FT BECAUSE HE WAS GETTING CLOSE TO A CLOUD BANK. CLEARANCE WAS DENIED DUE TO A CESSNA 185 AT 7,500 AND WHICH WAS GOING NE. THE 185 RADIOED GSP APCH THAT HE WAS GOING BACK TO GRIFFIN BECAUSE 'IT DOESN'T LOOK TOO GOOD UP HERE NOW'. HE WAS BETWEEN LAYERS. THE PIPER WAS CLRD TO 7,500. ABOUT ONE MIN AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING THAT HE WAS AT 7,500, GSP APCH RADIOED TO THE PIPER THAT THEY OBSERVED HIM IN A LT TURN AND DESCENDING. 30 SEC LATER THE ELT ACTIVATED. THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO COME OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE OVC IN PIECES, FOLLOWING AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/12/1987
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1026
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City GREENVILLE
Event State SOUTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 29601
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport GREENVILLE DOWNTOWN
Event Location Nearest Airport ID GMU
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 3
Degrees magnetic from airport 24
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1031 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 204
Weather Observation Facility ID GMU
Elevation of weather observation facility 1048
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 2
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 1500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 4
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 8
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 50
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) 900
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) 1866
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 12 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1155
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35165
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:54PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N84430
NTSB Number ATL88FA010
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-161
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-161
Aircraft Serial Number 28-8216009
Certified Max Gross Weight 2325
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 Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 15 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 63
Airframe Hours 1035
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GMI, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4822 E. 355TH ST.
Aircraft Owner City WILLOUGHBY
Aircraft Owner State OH
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 44094
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 No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code CEU
Departure City CLEMSON
Departure State SC
Departure Country
Departure Time 950
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PKB
Destination City PARKERSBURG
Destination State WV
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 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --