- Date
- August 29, 1982, 17:18 local (21:18 UTC)
- Place
- State Road, NC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N38231Piper PA-28R-201T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820829042139A
- Case key
- 72718
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt reported his engine had quit. ARTCC advised the plt that the nearest arpt was elking at 12 mi. Several minutes later he reported that he didn't think he could make the arpt & was going to look for a field. Witnesses observed the landing gear down about 1 mi from the crash site. The acft crashed into trees about 300 ft from a plowed field. Other fields were in the vicinity of the crash site. The plt's shoulder harness was stowed. The left tank was ruptured & empty. Personnel at the wreckage reported a strong odor of fuel. The right tank contained about 1 inch of fuel. Fuel stains were found on the left side of the upper engine case supply line fitting at the fuel manifold valve. Fuel stains were also noted forward of the rubber coupling that joins the turbocharger compressed air line to the upstream (aft) end of the throttle body.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38231
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-201T (PA-28R-201)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7703191
- Airframe hours
- 1,330
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-FB1, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald L. Watson
- Registered owner
- Watson Directory Corporation
- Departed
- C · St. Louis, MO
- Destination
- C · Winston Salem, NC
- Airport
- ZEF · Elkin Municipal
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Invalid Medical for flight
- Flight hours
- 393 total · 332 in this make and model · 223 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 163 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- INT, 34 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.