Piper PA-28-181 accident near Cleveland, Tennessee, September 22, 1989
On September 22, 1989 at about 2:10 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N43804, was destroyed in an accident near Cleveland, Tennessee (Hardwick airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE IMPROPER HANDLING OF THE AIRPLANE BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND; A DELAYED GO-AROUND, AND THE PREMATURE RETRACTIONS OF THE FLAPS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 1989 · about 2:10 am local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Tennessee · Hardwick · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N43804 · registry record · serial 28-7890020
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS FLOWN WITH AN IFR CLEARANCE WHICH WAS CANCELLED NEAR THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE PILOT REPORTED 20 MILES VISIBILITY BENEATH THE OVERCAST AS HE APPROACHED THE AIRPORT. HE FLEW OVER THE RUNWAY & ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND LEG. ON SHORT FINAL AT ABOUT 250 FEET FOG WAS OBSERVED BENEATH THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED INTO THE FOG, POWER WAS INCREASED, & A LEFT TURN WAS BEGUN FOR THE MISSED APPROACH. A CLIMB WAS NOT INITIATED PRIOR TO THE TURN & THE FLAPS WERE RETRACTED AT LOW SPEED. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES, & EVENTUALLY STALLED. IT COLLIDED WITH TWO HOUSES DURING THE UNCONTROLLED DESCENT, THEN CAME TO REST IN A BACK YARD.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 361 hours in all; 238 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,206 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1989; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Cleveland Aero Club, INC
The flight
- Departed from: PDK Chamble GA at 1:13 am
- Destination: HDI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 3, 3,300 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from CHA, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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 N43804 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.