N987 is taken. It's currently assigned to a 1947 Fairchild 24R-46 registered in Hemet, CA.
See the full aircraft record →A tail number only frees up if the owner deregisters the aircraft or moves it to a different N-number — and even then the FAA holds it before releasing it to the public.
N987 has been worn before. Past registrations from FAA deregistration records:
Tails one nudge away from N987 that aren't assigned or reserved: