- Date
- July 20, 1983, 10:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Lost Creek, WV
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N234LCPiper PA-31P
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830720033869A
- Case key
- 5881
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 acft took off with 4 occupants & an estimated 596 lbs of cargo on board. After it took off, the ATC controller noted that it was climbing slower than expected. After climbing to about 4200 ft MSL, the aircrew reported a problem with the left eng & said they did not believe they could make it back to the departure arpt. They expressed a desire to continue toward the southwest. ATC proceeded to vector them to the weston arpt, but informed them that it had no instrument apch. After the reported eng malfunction, ATC personnel noted that the acft continued in a gradual left turn. About 8 min after takeoff, radio contact was Lost. A witness on the ground saw the acft come over a hill with the sound of an eng at hi power. At about that time, the acft collided with a power line cable, then crashedinto 2 trees, impacted the ground & burned. An exam of the wreckage revealed no significant preimpact failures. The acftwas estimated to be aprx 400 lbs over its max certificated gross wt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N234LC
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31P7400178
- Airframe hours
- 2,835
- Engine
- Lycoming TIGO-541-E1A, 425 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tenson Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 30, 1982 · 134 hours before
- Departed
- Clarksburg, WV
- Destination
- Memphis, TN
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 18,900 total · 2,400 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 8 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CKB, 5 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.