Piper PA-23-250 accident near Greer, South Carolina, November 1, 1983
On November 1, 1983 at about 3:16 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N40249, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greer, South Carolina (Greenville-Spartanburg airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. 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
- November 1, 1983 · about 3:16 pm local time
- Place
- Greer, South Carolina · Greenville-Spartanburg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N40249 · no longer on the register · serial 27-7305055
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE FLT, HYDRAULIC FAILURE OF THE LANDING SYS OCCURRED & THE AIRCREW WERE UNABLE TO GET THE GEAR LOCKED IN THE DOWN POSITION. AFTER ORBITING FOR OVER AN HOUR, A LANDING WAS MADE. DURING TOUCHDOWN, THE GEAR COLLAPSED. AN EXAM REVEALED THAT AN AILERON BALANCE CABLE HAD CHAFED AGAINST A HYDRAULIC LINE IN THE LANDING GEAR SYS UNTIL A HOLE WAS WORN THRU THE LINE. THIS ALLOWED THE HYDRAULIC FLUID TO LEAK OUT.
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: 871 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 97 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,324 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 4, 1982; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GMU Greenville SC at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 7,600 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 am from GSP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.