Piper PA-28-140 accident near Harrisville, Michigan, February 13, 1983
On February 13, 1983 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N8304R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Harrisville, Michigan (Harrisbille airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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
- February 13, 1983 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Harrisville, Michigan · Harrisbille · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N8304R · registry record · serial 28 22171
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING ON A SNOW COVERED RWY, THE ACFT HIT A CHUNK OF FROZEN SNOW. REPORTEDLY, HE HAD DEPARTED FROM THE SAME RWY & HAD BEEN MAKING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING, BUT DID NOT SEE THE OBSTRUCTION.
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: 1,050 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 36 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,093 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 11, 1982
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 2,140 ft by 185 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 18,000 ft; scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from APN, 25 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.