Piper PA-31T1 accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, March 16, 1983
On March 16, 1983 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-31T1, registered N879SW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Will Rogers airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- March 16, 1983 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · Will Rogers · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31T1 · all PA-31T1s on the register
- Registration
- N879SW · no longer on the register · serial 31T-7904056
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS LOWERED AT THE OUTER MARKER ON AN ILS APPROACH. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE EXTENDED FULL FLAPS AT ABOUT 400 FEET AGL JUST AS THEY BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER LANDING THE PILOT RETRACTED THE FLAPS TO 0. THE FLAPS CAME UP AND THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT FELL AS THE GEAR UP CYCLE BEGAN. THE MAIN GEAR THEN CAME UP AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSPORTED TO A HANGER, ALL LANDING GEAR WERE FOUND TO BE UP AND LOCKED. NUMEROUS CYCLE TESTS OF THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM FAILED TO SHOW ANY MALFUNCTION WITHIN ANY COMPONENT OF THE SYSTEM.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,022 hours in all; 728 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 1,857 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 729 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 3, 1983; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,700 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-11 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TUL Tulsa OK at 10:12 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35R, 9,802 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 21 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:48 pm from OKC
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.