Piper PA-30 accident near Valparaiso, Indiana, March 5, 1982
On March 5, 1982 at about 5:56 am local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N34EE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Valparaiso, Indiana (Porter County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- March 5, 1982 · about 5:56 am local time
- Place
- Valparaiso, Indiana · Porter County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N34EE · registry record · serial 30-1138
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED ENCOUNTERING SEVERE ICING CONDITIONS AFTER HE HAD CANCELED HIS IFR FLIGHT PLAN AND HAD THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT. AT THAT POINT, HE FELT THAT THE SAFEST ALTERNATIVE WAS TO CONTINUE THE APPROACH. THE APPROACH WAS FLOWN AT 120 MPH WITH NO FLAPS. AS THE APPROACH WAS CONTINUED, ICE BEGAN TO ACCUMULATE RAPIDLY. WITH FULL POWER, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE DESCENT. THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN 78 FT SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AND BOUNCED IN THE AIR AGAIN. THE PILOT RETRACTED THE GEAR IN AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT FLYING. THE WINDSHIELD WAS COVERED WITH ICE, BUT HE WAS ABLE TO SEE A PARALLEL TAXIWAY BY LOOKING THROUGH THE SIDE WINDOW. THE PLANE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE TAXIWAY AND LANDED AT A HIGH DESCENT RATE WITH THE GEAR UP.
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: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,613 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 2,446 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,340 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,725 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Eagle Aircraft Company
The flight
- Departed from: Chicago IL at 11:30 pm
- Destination: Valparaiso IN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 090° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.