Piper PA-32-300 accident near Near St. Croix, October 13, 1982
On October 13, 1982, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N77QT, was destroyed in an accident near Near St. Croix. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were 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
- October 13, 1982
- Place
- Near St. Croix
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N77QT · no longer on the register · serial 32-7240100
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT DEPARTED ST CROIX, VI AT ABOUT 2000 LOCAL TIME ON A VFR FLIGHT TO SAN JUAN, PR. THE WEATHER WAS VFR, BUT IT WAS A DARK NIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO ARRIVE AT ITS DESTINATION AND A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. ABOUT 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE ST CROIX VOR, FLOATING DEBRIS WAS FOUND WHICH INCLUDED A SEAT, ONE MAIN GEAR, SOME INSULATION PANELS AND THE AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE RECOVERED PARTS SHOWED THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE OCEAN WATER AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED.
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
- Flight time: 240 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,931 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: STX Christiansted at 7:50 pm
- Destination: SJU San Juan PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:00 pm, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.