# Incident 19830420020869I: Piper PA34200T, Needles, CA, April 20, 1983

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 20, 1983, 16:45 local time
- Place: Needles, CA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Location: 34.8136° N, 114.6266° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Needles, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.8136&lon=-114.6266&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3709M, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3709M-1988-08-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200T (registry code 7103406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA34200T
- Reported engine: CONT IO360A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 4,000 total, 250 in this make and model, 150 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830420020869I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING WHILE EN ROUTE. SURGE IN VOLTAGE KNOCKED THE LEFT ALTERNATOR OFF LINE.

## Other reports on N3709M (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19850622041939I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850622041939I), Jun 22, 1985: Piper PA34200T (N3709M), Chandler, AZ, Minor damage. Porpoised on landing until nose gear collapsed.
- [Incident 19781125024579I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19781125024579I), Nov 25, 1978: Piper PA34200T (N3709M), Pensacola, FL, Minor damage. As nose wheel touched down after landing it caused violent dig in reaction. Became airborn, came down hard.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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