Piper PA-34-200 accident near Gulf Of Mexico, October 9, 1983
On October 9, 1983 at about 5:00 am local time, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N4437T, was destroyed in an accident near Gulf Of Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- October 9, 1983 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Gulf Of Mexico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N4437T · no longer on the register · serial 34-7250095
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT DISAPPEARED ON A FLT OVER A PART OF THE GULF OF MEXICO SOUTH OF CORPUS CHRISTI IN AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. THE STORMS WERE DENSELY PACKED AND IT WAS CONSIDERED UNLIKELY THAT VFR FLT COULD BE CONDUCTED IN THE AREA. THEACCIDENT ACFT WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH A FORMER INSTRUCTOR AND BROTHER-IN-LAW WHO WAS FLYING TO CORPUS CHRISTI IN A C-172. THE C-172 LANDED AT CORPUS DUE TO THE T-STORMS AND HAD LOST CONTACT WITH N4437T BEFORE LANDING. A PART OF A WING IDENTIFIED AS HAVING COME FROM N4437T WAS PICKED UP BY A SHRIMP BOAT ABOUT 3 WEEKS AFTER THE ACFT WAS MISSING. THE SEARCH BY THE CAP AND COAST GUARD FOUND NOTHING AND THE SEARCH WAS ENDED.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: HRL Harlingen TX at 11:00 pm
- Destination: AAP Houston TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from CRP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.