Cessna 402C accident near Albertville, Alabama, August 31, 1984
On August 31, 1984 at about 1:10 pm local time, a Cessna 402C, registered N55LP, was destroyed in an accident near Albertville, Alabama (Albertville Municipal airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- August 31, 1984 · about 1:10 pm local time
- Place
- Albertville, Alabama · Albertville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402C · all 402Cs on the register
- Registration
- N55LP · registry record · serial 402C0102
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT WAS EXECUTING AN NON-DIRECTIONAL BEACON APPROACH TO RWY 23. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. RADAR INFORMATION OBTAINED DURING THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PLT DID NOT STABILIZE THE AIRSPEED WHILE EXECUTING THE APPROACH. WITNESSES NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE INDICATED THEY HAD HEARD A LOW FLYING ACFT AT THE APRX TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WRECKAGE PATH REVEALED A GRADUAL DESCENT SWATH IN THE TREES WHICH TERMINATED WITH GROUND IMPACT. WITNESSES NEAR THE ARPT STATED THAT THE ARPT WAS OBSCURED BY FOG.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all; 400 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,319 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 11, 1984; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,350 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-VB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 5M5 Decatur AR at 10:54 am
- Destination: 8A0 Albertville AL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 4,800 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:05 pm from HSV, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.