Piper PA-28-180 accident near Englewood, Colorado, October 24, 1983
On October 24, 1983 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N9317J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Englewood, Colorado (Arapahoe 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
- October 24, 1983 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Englewood, Colorado · Arapahoe
- 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
- N9317J · no longer on the register · serial 28-3426
- 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 ARRIVAL, HE WAS RECEIVING VECTORS FOR AN ILS WHEN HE ENTERED A DESCENT FROM 9000 TO 8500 FT MSL. HE ENTERED CLOUDS DURING THE DESCENT & APPLIED CARBURETOR (CARB) HEAT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE ENTERING THE CLOUDS. HE SAID THAT THE ACFT REMAINED IN WX FOR ABOUT 15 MIN DURING THE RADAR VECTORS. DURING THAT TIME, A SMALL AMOUNT OF ICE FORMED ON THE WINGS & LOOKED LIKE FROST. HE STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN AN ASSIGNED ALT OF 8000 FT, WHICH HE BELIEVED WAS DUE TO CARB ICE & LOSS OF POWER. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE MADE A FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD WHERE THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A FENCE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE THROTTLE, MIXTURE & CARB HEAT CONTROLS WERE CHECKED & FOUND TO OPERATE NORMALLY. NO PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
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: 398 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 253 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,617 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 21, 1983; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AXS Altus OK at 3:00 pm
- Destination: APA Englewood CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,800 ft; not recorded at 1,100 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Observation at 5:48 pm from 2, 19 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.
Other NTSB records under N9317J 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.