Piper PA-28-161 accident near Glendale, Arizona, March 29, 1983
On March 29, 1983 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N81191, was substantially damaged in an accident near Glendale, Arizona (Glendale airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. 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
- March 29, 1983 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Glendale, Arizona · Glendale · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N81191 · registry record · serial 28-8016132
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED PERFORMING A NORMAL PREFLIGHT AND RUN-UP.NO WATER WAS OBSERVED IN THE FUEL DURING PREFLIGHT. FULL POWER WAS APPLIED AND THE ACFT ACCELERATED TO 55 KTS. AS THE ACFT ROTATED AND CLIMB ATTITUDE ESTABLISHED THE ENGINE SPUTTERED. THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. THE ACFT SKIDDED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RWY AND IMPACTED A TELEPHONE POLE LYING ACROSS THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RWY BEFORE CROSSING A DITCH AND ROAD. THE ENG WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TEST RUN FOR 15 MIN DURING WHICH PERIOD IT OPERATED NORMALLY.
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: 64 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 30 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,773 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 19, 1983; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: PRC Prescott AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 2,400 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from PHX
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.
Other NTSB records under N81191 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.