- Date
- January 21, 1982, 23:56 local (Jan 22, 1982, 05:56 UTC)
- Place
- Muscle Shoals, AL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N31937Piper PA-32
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 21, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820121001659A
- Case key
- 71803
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
During the approach the pilot stated that he could not extend the landing gear. At some point during the approach the aircraft broke out into VFR conditions. The pilot stated he had the airport in sight when the aircraft struck a 160,000 volt power line. During the crash sequence the left main gear was broken off thereby making it impossible to substantiate any prior malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31937
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7887016
- Airframe hours
- 960
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-51AD, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John C. Riddle
- Registered owner
- Dynamic Security Inc.
- Departed
- MSL · Bermingham, AL
- Destination
- BHM · Muscle Shoals, AL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MSL · Muscle Shoals, runway 29, 6,693 × 0 ft, concrete
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 626 total · 203 in this make and model · 550 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 127 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.