Piper PA-28-140 accident near Rowland, North Carolina, September 8, 1989
On September 8, 1989 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N4386J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rowland, North Carolina (Davis airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE AND PREVENT CARBURETOR ICING PRIOR TO TAKE OFF.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 1989 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Rowland, North Carolina · Davis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N4386J · registry record · serial 28-22774
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER A NORMAL PRE FLIGHT INSPECTION, ENGINE START, ENGINE RUN UP, AND TAKE OFF FROM RUNWAY 4 THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE RPM, SLOWLY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS, THE ENGINE OIL AND FUEL PRESSURE WAS NORMAL, AND THE FUEL PUMP WAS ON. THE OWNER'S HANDBOOK FOR THE AIRPLANE EMPHASIZES ENSURING THAT CARBURETOR ICE HAS NOT BUILT UP DURING THE TAXI FOR TAKE OFF. ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS INDICATE THAT THE ICING PROBABILITY AT GLIDE POWER WAS SERIOUS. THE TEMPERATURE WAS 80 DEGREES, DEW POINT WAS 68 DEGREES, AND THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WAS ABOUT 68%.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 5,700 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 4,600 as pilot in command; 600 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,695 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 7, 1989; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from FAY, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL89LA209.