Piper PA-28-235 accident near Mammoth Lakes, California, January 4, 1983
On January 4, 1983 at about 2:05 am local time, a Piper PA-28-235, registered N1931T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mammoth Lakes, California (Mammoth airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 1983 · about 2:05 am local time
- Place
- Mammoth Lakes, California · Mammoth · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N1931T · registry record · serial 28-7110017
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER DEPARTURE FROM THE MAMMOTH LAKES ARPT (ELEV 7128 FT), THE ACFT WAS SLOW TO CLIMB & ENG POWER BEGAN TO DETERIORATE. IT WAS DARK & THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE DEPARTURE ARPT, SO HE BEGAN AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE NORTHBOUND LANES OF HIGHWAY 395. ALL OF THE TRAFFIC WAS SOUTHBOUND IN THAT AREA. THE PLT HAD DIFFICULTY SEEING THE NORTHBOUND LANES. DURING THE LANDING, THE RIGHT WING HIT A SNOWBANK ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. NO CAUSE FOR THE ENG MALFUNCITON WAS FOUND.
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: 344 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 277 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 1982
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MMF Mammoth Lakes CA
- Destination: MYF San Diego CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX83FXQ02.