- Date
- July 14, 1984, 10:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Gardner, MA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N33290Piper J4A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840714032269A
- Case key
- 35423
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
During climbout, plt noted slight pwr loss, applied carb heat & eng regained pwr. On removal of carb heat, pwr loss (aprx 200 RPM) again occurred. Application of carb heat again resorted pwr but plt elected to turn back to field and land. During turn, plt believes a wind gust caused the left wing to drop. Plt stated to witness he had full back stick and full aileron control inputs but acft did not recover from left wing down, nose down attitude before ground impact. Temp 85 degs, dew point 65 degs, density alt 3,000 ft. automotive fuel was being used. Acft was near gross weight. Alt at pwr loss was 200 ft AGL.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N33290
- Reported as
- Piper J4A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 41362
- Airframe hours
- 6
- Engine
- Continental A-65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Steven R. Barrieau
- Registered owner
- Steven R. Barrieau
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- ORE · Orange, MA
- Airport
- GDM · Gardner
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 66 in this make and model · 126 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 8 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.