Piper PA-28-161 accident near Danville, California, December 8, 1983
On December 8, 1983 at about 1:41 am local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N2862C, was destroyed in an accident near Danville, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- December 8, 1983 · about 1:41 am local time
- Place
- Danville, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N2862C · no longer on the register · serial 28-7916487
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH RISING TERRAIN AT THE 1600 FT LEVEL ON A DARK NIGHT. THE PLT WAS ON A NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY AND HADMADE A RADIO CALL SAYING HE WAS UNSURE OF HIS POSITION. HE THEN REPORTED HIS ALT AS 2000 FT. THE BUCHANAN TOWER GAVE HIM A HEADING TO FLY AND SAID HE WAS ONLY 10 MILES FROM THE ARPT. THE ACFT ACKNOWLEDGED THE HEADING AND THIS WAS THE LAST RADIO CONTACT.
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: 93 hours in all; 93 in this make and model; 42 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,425 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 11, 1983; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Navajo Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: SJC San Jose CA at 1:15 am
- Destination: CCR Concord CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 210° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from CCR, 24 miles away
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.