Piper PA-44-180T accident near Indianapolis, Indiana, February 14, 1983
On February 14, 1983 at about 3:59 am local time, a Piper PA-44-180T, registered N8278T, was destroyed in an accident near Indianapolis, Indiana (Indianapolis airport). It was a business 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 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
- February 14, 1983 · about 3:59 am local time
- Place
- Indianapolis, Indiana · Indianapolis · 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-44-180T · all PA-44-180Ts on the register
- Registration
- N8278T · registry record · serial 448107024
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN ILS APCH TO RWY 22R, APCH CONTROL ASKED THE PLT TO KEEP HIS SPEED UP AS MUCH AS PRACTICAL. AT A LATER INTER- VIEW, THE PLT COULD NOT REMEMBER DETAILS OF THE APCH. HE RECALLED PUTTING THE GEAR DOWN AT THE OUTER MARKER (OM) & USING THE AUTOPILOT TO MAINTAIN HIS AZIMUTH ON THE ILS CENTERLINE, BUT MANUALLY CONTROLLING HIS SPEED & RATE OF DESCENT.HE COULD NOT RECALL WHETHER OR NOT HE CAPTURED THE ILS GLIDE SLOPE. HE MONITORED THE RADIO USING HIS HEADSET & ASKED THEPASSENGER (WITH PREVIOUS FLT EXPERIENCE) IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT TO MONITOR FOR NO LESS THAN 1000 FT MSL & 80 KTS AIRSPEED. TOWER PERSONNEL REPORTED WHEN HE WAS 1 1/2 MI & 1 MI ON FINAL. THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE SUDDENLY SAW THE RWY AND STARTED DOWN TO LAND. AT ABOUT THAT TIME HE SAW THE RED LIGHTS AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RWY & INITIATED A GO- AROUND. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES ALONG A FENCE ROW, APRX 25 FT AGL. NO PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION/ FAILURE WAS FOUND. THE PAX COULD NOT HEAR THE RADIO, BUT SAW APPROX 800 FT ON THE ALTIMETER WHEN THE RUNWAY WAS SIGHTED.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,344 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 265 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 14, 1982; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TO-360-E1A6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MEM Memphis TN at 2:00 am
- Destination: IND Indianapolis IN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22R, 10,005 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 am from IND, 2 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.