- Date
- September 12, 1983, 07:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Watford City, ND
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5821WPiper PA-28B-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830912048619A
- Case key
- 16158
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 nose gear collapsed during a precautionary landing due to weather. The plt had been briefed on the weather the evening before the accident. The pilot stated that when the flight was 20 minutes from home he 'thought we could make it.' However, he decided to land on a ranch below and wait on weather improvement. During maneuvering to land the fog was entered and the engine began losing power. The plt saw the ground and stall landed. The nose gear collapsed during rollout.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5821W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28B-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-2033
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Larry Lester Bieber
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 1, 1983 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- Y74 · Parshall, ND
- Destination
- SDY · Sidney, MT
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 85 total · 25 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ISN, 20 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.