Piper PA-23-250 accident near Ukiah, California, May 1, 1984
On May 1, 1984 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N63813, was destroyed in an accident near Ukiah, California (Ukiah airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 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
- May 1, 1984 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Ukiah, California · Ukiah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N63813 · no longer on the register · serial 27-7754137
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL, THE PLT WAS CLEARED FOR A LOC/DME RWY 15 APCH TO THE UKIAH ARPT. AT 1307 PDT, HE BEGAN THE APCH AT THE TUCCI INTERSECTION, 15.5 MI NORTH OF THE RWY. AT 1311:04 THE LAST RADAR CONTACT SHOWED THAT THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 5 MI NORTH OF THE ARPT. AT 1313, THE UKIAH FSS PERSONNEL REQUESTED THE ACFT'S POSITION & THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE WAS 5.5 MI ON THE DME (5.5 MI NORTH OF THE ARPT). THERE WERE NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE ACFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT CRASHED ON RISING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ABOUT 4 MI SOUTH OF THE ARPT AT AN ELEVATION OF 200 FT. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE DME WAS SELECTED TO THE #2 NAV RECEIVER WHICH WAS TUNED TO THE UKIAH VOR, LOCATED ABOUT 6 MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE ARPT. FOR THE APCH, THE DME SHOULD HAVE BEEN SELECTED ON THE #1 NAV RECEIVER WHICH WAS TUNED TO THE LOC/DME AT THE ARPT. THE 1324 WX AT UKIAH WAS 1000 FT OBSCURED, VISIBILITY 1 1/2 MI WITH LIGHT RAIN & FOG, WIND 130 DEG AT 8 KTS.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 418 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 5, 1984; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-C1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CRQ Carlsbad CA at 4:35 pm
- Destination: UKI Ukiah CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 15, 5,005 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:24 pm from UKI, 4 miles away
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.
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.