Piper PA-28-180 accident near Valparaiso, Indiana, January 14, 1989
On January 14, 1989 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N3331R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Valparaiso, Indiana (Porter County 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
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PREPARATION BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN INADVERTENT FLIGHT IN ICING CONDITIONS AND RAPID ACCUMULATION OF AIRFRAME ICE, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED TO FLARE DURING THE LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF VISUAL PERCEPTION WITH ICE ON THE WINDSHIELD.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 1989 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Valparaiso, Indiana · Porter County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N3331R · registry record · serial 28-5661
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
NO PREFLIGHT WX BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED BEFORE THE FLT. DURING CLIMB-OUT, THE PLT HEARD ABOUT ICING CONDITIONS AT A NEARBY AIRPORT & ELECTED TO RETURN & LAND. BEFORE LANDING, HE ENCOUNTERED FREEZING RAIN & A RAPID ACCUMULATION OF ICE ON THE ACFT. ICE ON THE WINDSHIELD RESTRICTED THE PLT'S FORWARD VISIBILITY, REQUIRING HIM TO USE THE SIDE WINDOWS. DURING THE FLARE TO LAND, HE RAISED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT TO ARREST A SINK RATE, BUT THE ACFT LANDED HARD, COLLAPSING THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR.
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: 127 hours in all; 21 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1988; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VPZ at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N3331R 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.