Piper PA-34-220T accident near Hamilton, Alabama, October 23, 1985
On October 23, 1985 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-220T, registered N8132L, was destroyed in an accident near Hamilton, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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
- October 23, 1985 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Hamilton, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-220T · all PA-34-220Ts on the register
- Registration
- N8132L · registry record · serial 34-8233094
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 1450 CDT, WHILE THE PLT WAS CRUISING AT 11,000', ARTCC BROADCAST INFO CONCERNING SIGMET 17C, WARNING PLTS OF THUNDER-STORMS WITH TOPS TO FL 450. AT 1613, RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT AT 11,300'. WHEN ASKED ABOUT HIS ALT, THE PLT REPLIED HE WAS IN A CELL & WOULD BE RETURNING TO HIS ALT OF 11,000'. HE DID NOT REQUEST ASSISTANCE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT HAD LOST 1000', THEN THE DISPLAY WENT INTO A COAST TRACK. LATER, THE WRECKAGE WAS FND SCATTERED OVER AN AREA APRX 1 MI LONG & 1/4 MI WIDE. THE WINGS & STABILATORS HAD SEPARATED DURING AN IN-FLT BREAKUP. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE WINGS HAD FAILED FROM POSITIVE OVERLOADS. NO PRE-ACDNT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND. THE PLT'S BODY WAS FND AT 0737 CDT ON 10/24/85. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.031%, BUT THE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL DUE TO PUTREFACTION WAS NOT VERIFIED. A WX SUMMARY SHOWED THE ACFT WAS IN THE VICINITY OF A VERY STRONG WX ECHO WITH MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE & UP/DOWNDRAFTS IN THE THUNDERSTORM BELOW 20,000'.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 770 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,208 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,750 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-KB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5DF Springfield MO at 8:14 pm
- Destination: Dothan AL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N8132L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.