Piper 602P accident near Dayton, Tennessee, September 14, 1984
On September 14, 1984 at about 2:08 pm local time, a Piper 602P, registered N6897L, was destroyed in an accident near Dayton, Tennessee (Mark Anton airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was 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
- September 14, 1984 · about 2:08 pm local time
- Place
- Dayton, Tennessee · Mark Anton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper 602P
- Registration
- N6897L · no longer on the register · serial 629328165055
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON ARRIVAL AT DESTINATION, PLT FOUND AIRPORT OBSCURED BY FOG, REPORTED BY UNICOM AS 1 MI VISIBILITY. PLT CIRCLED TO AWAIT IMPROVEMENT. 15 MIN LATER, VISIBILITY IMPROVED TO 1-1/2 MI. ACFT OBSERVED BRIEFLY THROUGH BREAKS, THEN HEARD MANUVERING TO NORTH AND SEEN ONCE ON APPROXIMATE DOWNWIND HDG. ACFT HEARD APPROACHING AIRPORT THEN APPEARED IN DIVING LEFT TURN BELOW FOG AND TO RIGHT OF RUNWAY BEFORE IMPACT. APPROVED NDB/VOR DME/RNAV APPROACHES TO AIRPORT HAVE 700 FT CEILING MINIMUM. ACFT FOUND CONFIGURED FOR LANDING. NO RECORD OF REQUEST FOR INSTRUMENT APPROACH.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 676 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 2, 1983; 197 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AA15 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRN Lenoir NC at 12:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 4,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:08 am from CHA, 30 miles away
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.