NTSB CAROL · Event
Event MIA87LA018
Registry · N8969C
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
PIPER PA-28-181
Year of manufacture
1976 · 10 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19760217
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AC5F34
Registrant of record
STRAHL GUENTER H
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
A USCG HELICOPTER HAD LANDED ON RWY 4 MOMENTS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AND HAD CLEARED THE RWY. THE HELICOPTER HAD ADVISED THE ACFT ON UNICOM FREQUENCY OF HIS INTENT TO LAND. THE ACFT ADVISED THE HELICOPTER THAT HE HAD HIM IN SIGHT AND WOULD FOLLOW HIM IN. THE HELICOPTER OFFERED TO 'SIDE STEP' AND ALLOW THE ACFT TO LAND FIRST. THE OFFER WAS DECLINED. THE ACFT PILOT STATED THAT HE SAW THE HELICOPTER OVER THE RWY ABOUT 1/2 MI AHEAD OF HIM & HAD CONSIDERED GOING AROUND, BUT DECIDED AGAINST IT SINCE HE, THE PILOT, WAS IN 'SMOOTH AIR'. DURING THE FLARE, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LOST CONTROL OF THE ACFT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1986_MIA87LA018.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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