- Date
- December 9, 1984, 05:17 local (13:17 UTC)
- Place
- Gig Harbor, WA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2104DPiper PA-44-180
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19841209075909A
- Case key
- 40022
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 departed in the early morning hours from salem, OR, destined for Gig Harbor. Upon arrival in the destination area the plt was in radio contact with seattle apcon. The plt reported he was unable to aquire visual contact with the arpt. Vectors were provided by controllers. Radar info obtained during the investigation revealed the acft was in a consistent descent with the lowest alt reading being 300 ft MSL. The last radar target received showed the acft within 1000 ft of the high voltage transmission line at 600 ft. the weather was described as being foggy near the accident site area. The plt was not instrument rated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2104D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-44-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 447995129
- Airframe hours
- 1,249
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-E1A6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gary J. Barlow
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 14, 1984 · 119 hours before
- Departed
- SLE · Salem, OR
- Destination
- TIW · Tacoma, WA
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 414 total · 20 in this make and model · 364 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TCM, 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.