Piper PA-28-181 accident near Livermore, California, December 17, 1983
On December 17, 1983 at about 5:12 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N4513K, was destroyed in an accident near Livermore, California (Livermore airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- December 17, 1983 · about 5:12 pm local time
- Place
- Livermore, California · Livermore
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N4513K · no longer on the register · serial 28-8090039
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL IN IFR CONDITIONS, THE PLT WAS VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 25 APCH. AT ABOUT 0909 PST, HE WAS CLEARED FOR THE APCH & INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT UNTIL INTERCEPTING THE LOCALIZER. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE CONTROLLER INSTRUCTED THE PLT TO CONTACT THE TOWER. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE CONTROLLER NOTED THAT THE ACFT'S TRANSPONDER REPLY WAS INDICATING ABOUT 1700 FT, APRX 1100 FT BELOW THE MIN ALTITUDE AT THAT POSITION. THE CONTROLLER IMMEDIATELY QUERIED THE PLT CONCERNING HIS ALTITUDE, BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH POWER LINES & CRASHED. HE STATED THAT HE BELIEVED HE HAD BEEN CLEARED TO 2000 FT, THEN AFTER INTERCEPTING THE LOCALIZER, HE 'BEGAN TO DESCEND TO THE GLIDE SLOPE.' AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT HAD COLLIDED WITH POWER LINES AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 1525 FT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED NEAR THE OUTER MARKER. THE MIN ALTITUDE AT THE OUTER MARKER WAS 2409 FT. NO PREIMPACT, SYS MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE 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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 284 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 240 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 15, 1983; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: S & G Flight Svc., INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SJC San Jose CA at 4:40 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 4,005 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from LVK, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.