- Date
- November 15, 1983, 02:36 local (07:36 UTC)
- Place
- Charlotte, NC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6459LPiper PA-31-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831115057489A
- Case key
- 6233
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 was first radar identified about 18 mi north of the arpt & was given radar vectors for a right downwind & base to rwy 36R. While on a downwind heading 150 deg, the plt was assigned a heading of 270 deg & was queried if the arpt wasin sight. The plt responded '...we got it.' However, radar data shows the acft continuing the turn through 270 deg to about 350 deg. After about 1/2 mi, the acft turned left to 250 deg descending. The turn continued to a sw heading approximately aligned with a city street that passes south of the arpt on a course of 250 deg. The altitude decreased with a consistent rate to 900 ft when radar contact was lost. Elev at the apch end of rwy 36R is 724 ft. wreckage distribution was along a 245 deg heading. A flt inspection of the rwy 36R edge lights at night during VFR conditions indicated the lights were not visible beyond 30 deg of the rwy centerline. The plt got up at 0730 on 11/14.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6459L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-415
- Airframe hours
- 7,267
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-M1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Southeast Airmotive Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 13, 1983 · 96 hours before
- Departed
- INT · Winston Salem, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CLT · Douglas International, runway 36R, 7,845 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 13,950 total · 1,870 in this make and model · 11,550 as pilot in command · 294 in the last 90 days · 96 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 80° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CLT
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.