- Date
- November 1, 1983, 19:20 local (Nov 2, 1983, 00:20 UTC)
- Place
- Marshburg, PA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8163PPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831101057719A
- Case key
- 35383
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
After refueling at ithaca, NY, the plts of two Piper PA-28 acft departed as a flt of two. They had planned to continue their flt back to cincinnati, oh with another en route stop at columbus, OH. The non-instrument rated plt of N8163P was following the lead acft, N6888W. After checking the wx & observing lightning ahead, the flt leader radioed that he was turning back to bradfore, PA to land. At this time (1915 EST) it was dark & the acft were at about 3000 to 3300 ft MSL. The #2 plt tried to keep the lead acft in sight, during the turn, but was unsuccessful. While searching for the lead plane, the #2 plt became disoriented & lost control of his acft. During the attempted recovery, the acft collided with trees on the crest of a hill at aprx 2240 ft MSL. The acft was destroyed, but the 2 occupants of that acft received only minor injuries. They spent the night in the forest.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8163P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28801627
- Airframe hours
- 1,593
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Piper 161 Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · September 2, 1983 · 68 hours before
- Departed
- ITH · Itecah, NY
- Destination
- CMH · Columbus, OH
- Airport
- BFD
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
- 18
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 117 total · 37 in this make and model · 57 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFD, 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.