Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Everglades City, Florida 33929
Friday, October 2, 1987 6:10 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT ATTEMPTED A VFR FLT OVER THE EVERGLADES DURING THE HRS OF DARKNESS. THE ACFT CRASHED INTO A SWAMPY AREA AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHILE IN A 90 DEGREE LEFT BANK. THE ACFT DISINTEGRATED ON IMPACT. A CONVECTIVE SIGMET WAS ISSUED ABOUT 25 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE. IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER THE FLT RECEIVED THE SIGMET INFORMATION. AN EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK RANGER PILOT, WHO ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AFTER THE ACCIDENT, STATED THAT THE AREA INTO WHICH THE FLT WAS OPERATING WAS DESOLATE, WITH NO GROUND LIGHTS & NO DISCERNABLE HORIZON DURING THE HRS OF DARKNESS. THE SURFACE WX OBSERVATION AT FORT MYERS, ABT 50 MILES NW OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, INDICATED 4,500 FOOT BROKEN CLOUDS AND 7 MILES VISIBILITY. WX SATELLITE PHOTOS INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA WHERE THE ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/2/1987
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 610
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City EVERGLADES CITY
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 33929
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
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
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 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Unknown
Time of the weather observation 550 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 310
Weather Observation Facility ID FMY
Elevation of weather observation facility 18
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 50
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 4500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 19
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 10
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
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 Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1860
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 2 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1655
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35159
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:55PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3RP
NTSB Number MIA88FA001
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-23-250
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-23-250
Aircraft Serial Number 27-4597
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CM SQUARED, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 16261 OLD U.S. 41
Aircraft Owner City FT. MYERS
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33912
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name APPLIED MECHANICAL SERVICES,
Operator Same as Owner? No
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code FMY
Departure City FT. MYERS
Departure State FL
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code OPF
Destination City OPA LOCKA
Destination State FL
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 --