Piper PA-28-181 accident near Redlands, California, April 30, 1983
On April 30, 1983 at about 1:30 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N9233K, was destroyed in an accident near Redlands, California (Big Bear City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were 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
- April 30, 1983 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Redlands, California · Big Bear City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N9233K · no longer on the register · serial 28-7690231
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BEFORE FLYING, THE PLT TOLD THE FBO THAT HE WOULD STAY IN THE LOCAL REDLANDS/RIVERSIDE, CA AREA. HOWEVER, AFTER TAKING OFF, HE FLEW TO LAS VEGAS, NV. HE DEPARTED LAS VEGAS AT 1636 PDT. WHEN HE DID NOT RETURN TO REDLANDS, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. THE WRECKAGE OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND ABOUT 8 MI NORTH OF REDLANDS IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHERE THE PLANE HAD CRASHED AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 5300 FT. IMPACT OCCURRED AT THE BASE OF A CLIFF IN A CANYON AREA. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. RADAR INFO INDICATED THE ACFT WAS FLYING AT A SLOW SPEED JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE IMPACT SITE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 2 MI NORTH OF THE LAST RECORDED RADAR POSITION. A WX STUDY SHOWED THAT THE BASES OF THE CLOUDS IN THAT AREA WAS ABOUT 4000 FT MSL & THE CLOUD TOPS WERE NEAR 5000 FT. FLT VISIBILITY IN CLOUDS WAS ZERO MI & MODERATE TURBULENCE WAS PROBABLE BELOW 10,000 FT MSL.
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: 82 hours in all; 30 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,979 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 24, 1983; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Tri-State Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV at 11:36 pm
- Destination: L12 Redlands CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 5,850 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Sky: broken clouds; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.