Piper PA-31P-135 incident near Lake Charles, Louisiana, May 28, 1982
On May 28, 1982 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-31P-135, registered N222SA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Lake Charles, Louisiana. It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 7 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 incident. 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
- May 28, 1982 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Charles, Louisiana
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31P-135 · all PA-31P-135s on the register
- Registration
- N222SA · registry record · serial 31P-7400203
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CRUISING AT FL200 IN VMC CONDITIONS, THE PILOT SMELLED AND THEN OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTERS AND UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. HE ADVISED HOUSTON CENTER OF HIS SITUATION, THEN TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL DESCENT AND LANDING AT LAKE CHARLES, LA. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE THREE RESISTORS IN THE CIGAR LIGHTER RESISTOR ASSEMBLY HAD OVERHEATED AND BURNED THROUGH THE PHENOLIC BACKING ON WHICH IT WAS MOUNTED. AFTER BURNING THE BACKING, THE HEAT BURNED ABOUT 2 FEET OF BLACK RUBBER VACUUM TUBING. RESEARCH REVEALED THAT PIPER HAD ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN (SB) #654 ON THIS PART. THE SB CALLED FOR THE REMOVAL OF THESE ASSEMBLIES FROM ALL PA-31, 31-325 AND 31-350 AIRCRAFT AFTER A SIMILAR INCIDENT IN JUNE OF 1980. THE SERVICE BULLETIN AND SUBSEQUENT AD 79/20/07 DID NOT ADDRESS THE SAME RESISTORS INSTALLED IN PA-31P AIRCRAFT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,056 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 2,161 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,052 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P & W PT-6-135 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Z-Rider Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Lafayette LA at 2:45 pm
- Destination: Houston TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 25 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from LCH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.