- Date
- December 13, 1983
- Place
- Mcdonald, TN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8981PPiper PA-24-260B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831213061109A
- Case key
- 6241
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 received 2 wx briefings before takeoff & was provided flt precautions of IMC to continue beyond 0900 EST. Also, he was advised that the mountains would be occasionally obscured & icing could be expected to the west below 6000 ft. during both briefings, he reported his intentions to fly under IFR; however, he did not file a flt plan. After his last briefing, he said he would call back after reviewing his charts. Before taking off, the plt advised ground control he planned to cruise 'just around 1100, right under the deck.' He took off at aprx 0845. At 0853, radar service was terminated, 9 mi east of the arpt & no further contact was made. Subsequently, the acft crashed about 75 ft below the summit of white oak mountain, about 10 mi NE of the arpt. An exam revealed the acft mad impacted in an apparent nose level, right wing low attitude. No preimpact, mechanical problems were evident. Local residents reported low clouds which obscured the hill tops.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8981P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4440
- Airframe hours
- 2,648
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-D4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Adolph Nonnenkamp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CHA · Chattanooga, TN
- Destination
- 5A1 · Marion, VA
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
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,526 total · 710 in this make and model · 1,416 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CHA, 10 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.
Other investigations on N8981P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.