Piper PA-28-140 accident near Robersonville, North Carolina, January 20, 1983
On January 20, 1983 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N98302, was destroyed in an accident near Robersonville, North Carolina (Martin County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. 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
- January 20, 1983 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Robersonville, North Carolina · Martin County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N98302 · no longer on the register · serial 28-26159
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING AN ATTEMPTED EMERGENCY LANDING. THE ACFT WAS 5 MILES FORM AN AIRPORT. THE PILOT HAD CALLED ON UNICOM AND SAID HE WAS LOST AND HAD PARTIAL POWER LOSS. HE ASKED IF ANYONE COULD HEAR HIM AND HE DIDNOT BELIEVE HE COULD MAKE THE AIRPORT AS HE WAS TOO LOW. HE WAS GIVEN THE NDB FREQUENCY FOR THE AIRPORT. HE WAS ADVISED THAT HE WAS TOO FAR AWAY TO BE HEARD. IN HIS LAST TRANSMISSION THE PILOT SAID HE DID NOT HAVE THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT AND WAS NOT SURE OF HIS LOCATION. HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO LAND OFF THE AIRPORT. WHEN THERE WERE NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS THESHERIFF'S OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED. NO MECHANICAL IRREGULARITY COULD BE FOUND IN THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE THAT COULD HAVE PRODUCED A LOSS OF POWER.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,497 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 191 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days; 1,361 as pilot in command; 1,109 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,227 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 24, 1982; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Colonial Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ILM Wilmington NC at 7:53 pm
- Destination: W70 Williamsburg VA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft; not recorded at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from RWI, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.