Piper PA-32-300 accident near Libertytown, Maryland, July 16, 1989
On July 16, 1989 at about 5:43 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N83HA, was destroyed in an accident near Libertytown, Maryland. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT BY THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), WHICH RESULTED IN THE PILOT'S LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO DISORIENTATION, AND OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE WINGS AND STABILATOR DUE TO THE PILOT EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 1989 · about 5:43 pm local time
- Place
- Libertytown, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N83HA · registry record · serial 32-7240085
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT WAS ADVISED THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. WHILE EN ROUTE AT 9500 FT, THE PLT RPRTD HE HAD ENCOUNTERED HVY RAIN & HE REQUESTED VECTORS AROUND THE STORM. THE ATC CONTROLLER (CTLR) REPLIED THAT HE COULD NOT PROVIDE WX INFO DUE TO THE LIMITATIONS OF THE ATC RADAR. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT RPRTD '(WE'RE) IN TROUBLE. WE'RE COMING THROUGH SOME VERY HEAVY THUNDER.' THE CTLR SUGGESTED THE PLT TURN RIGHT TO 180 DEG TO REVERSE COURSE. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE WAS 'TURNING RIGHT 180 . . .' THERE WAS NO FURTHER RADIO CONTACT WITH THE ACFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, AN IN-FLT BREAKUP OF THE ACFT OCCURRED & WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER AN AREA OF ABOUT 1 MILE. WITNESSES NEAR THE ACDNT SITE RPRTD THAT THEY HEARD AN ACFT FLYING IN WX THEY DESCRIBED AS HVY RAIN, STRONG WINDS & LOW CLOUDS. ALSO, WITNESSES RPRTD THAT THE SOUND OF THE ENG WAS 'OSCILLATING' BEFORE THE PLANE CRASHED. NO PRE-ACDNT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. ABT 11 WEST, THE SALISBURY WX WAS IN PART: 500' BKN, 1000' OVC, VIS 1/2 MI WITH RAIN & FOG.
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: 320 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 261 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,745 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 10, 1989; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Powell Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: ORF Norfolk VA
- Destination: TEB Teterboro NJ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Sky: broken clouds at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:40 pm from SBY, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.