Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Raleigh, North Carolina, February 19, 1992
On February 19, 1992 at about 3:52 am local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N33464, was substantially damaged in an accident near Raleigh, North Carolina (Raleigh-Durham airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW INSTRUMENT LANDING PROCEDURES BY DESCENDING BELOW THE GLIDE PATH OF THE INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LOW CEILINGS AND FOG AT THE AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 1992 · about 3:52 am local time
- Place
- Raleigh, North Carolina · Raleigh-Durham
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N33464 · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7535153
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR AN INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM (ILS) APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT. THERE WERE LOW CEILINGS AND FOG AT THE AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE RADAR DATA COLLECTED DURING THE TIME OF THE APPROACH, SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT HEADING VARYING NUMEROUS TIMES FROM ONE SIDE OF THE APPROACH TO THE OTHER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND IN A WOODED AREA APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE FROM THE AIRPORT, ON THE CENETERLINE FOR THE ILS. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE NAVIGATIONAL INSTRUMENTS ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT WERE OPERATING WITHIN FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS. EXAMINATION OF THE INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM AT THE AIRPORT REVEALED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS OPERATING WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS.
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: 368 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 307 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,930 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 30, 1992; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DCA Washington DC at 2:00 am
- Destination: RDU Raleigh NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23L, 7,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Sky: broken clouds at 300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 am from RDU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.