Piper 32RT-300T accident near Hilton Head, South Carolina, December 5, 1982
On December 5, 1982 at about 1:05 am local time, a Piper 32RT-300T, registered N36447, was destroyed in an accident near Hilton Head, South Carolina (Hilton Head airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 5, 1982 · about 1:05 am local time
- Place
- Hilton Head, South Carolina · Hilton Head
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper 32RT-300T
- Registration
- N36447 · registry record · serial 32R-7887043
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES AFTER TAKEOFF. THE PILOT STATED HE HELD 80 OR 90 KTS INDICATED AND STARTED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A NORMAL CLIMB. DURING GEAR RETRACTION, THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE TREES.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,409 hours in all; 7 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 954 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Ginn Air, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Hilton Head SC at 8:05 pm
- Destination: Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 3, 3,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 158°F (70°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from SAV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.