Piper PA-28-140 accident near Big Bear, California, September 11, 1983
On September 11, 1983 at about 3:20 am local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N56513, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Bear, California (Big Bear City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 3 people had minor injuries. 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
- September 11, 1983 · about 3:20 am local time
- Place
- Big Bear, California · Big Bear City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N56513 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7325646
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, AFTER A RUNUP, DURING WHICH THE MIXTURE WAS 'LEANED', THE ACFT DEPARTED RWY 25 AT BIG BEAR AIRPORT. HE STATED THAT THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS LOWERED TO 'GAIN 80 KTS IAS,' AND THAT THE ACFT 'CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 150 TO 200 FT ABOVE THE LAKE AND WOULD CLIMB NO HIGHER.' THE ACFT THEN 'BEGAN A GRADUAL DESCENT,' AND STRUCK THE WATER AT '60 KTS IN WHAT SEEMED LIKE A LEVEL ATTITUDE.' INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT WAS AT LEAST 294 LBS OVER GROSS WT. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ALSO COMPUTED TO BE 8352 FT WHEN USING 60 DEG F AS A VALVE. THE RECORDED TEMP 15 NM AWAY WAS 86 DEG F. NO PRE-IMPACT DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND DURING THE EXAMINATION OF ACFT WRECKAGE OR THE SUBSEQUENT ENG TEST.
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: 195 hours in all; 101 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 126 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,665 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 2, 1983; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bartlett Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: L35 Big Bear CA at 3:10 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,850 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 am from SBD, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.