Piper PA-44-180 accident near Noblesville, Indiana, April 22, 1986
On April 22, 1986 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N39693, was substantially damaged in an accident near Noblesville, Indiana (Indianapolis Metropolitan airport). It was an instructional 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
- April 22, 1986 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Noblesville, Indiana · Indianapolis Metropolitan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N39693 · no longer on the register · serial 44-7995025
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
TWO SUCCESSFUL TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN COMPLETED DURING THE TRAINING FLIGHT. ON THE APPROACH FOR THE THIRD LANDING, THE CREW RECEIVED A THREE-GREEN INDICATION, BUT AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE NOSE GEAR FOLDED AND THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED ON ITS NOSE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY BOLT WAS MISSING.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,327 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 156 in the last 90 days; 2,218 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,796 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 1986; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-E1A6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Indianapolis Aviation
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 13 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:48 pm from IND, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N39693 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.