Piper PA-28-181 accident near Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, April 16, 1983
On April 16, 1983 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N8167K, was destroyed in an accident near Blue Bell, Pennsylvania (Wings Field). 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
- April 16, 1983 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Blue Bell, Pennsylvania · Wings Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N8167K · registry record · serial 28-8290104
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT HAD BEEN BRIEFED ON FORECAST STRONG WINDS & A SIGMET FOR MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT MAKE A SERIES OF APPROACHES TO RWY 24. ON THE 1ST APPROACH THE ACFT WAS ALMOST OVER THE THRESHOLD AS THE BASE TURN WAS COMPLETED. THE WINGS WERE ROCKING FROM SIDE TO SIDE. WIND WAS OUT OF THE NORTH WITH THE WINDSOCK FULLY EXTENDED PERPENDICULAR TO THE RWY. DURING THE GO-AROUND THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED CRABBING INTO THE WIND. DOWNWIND FOR THE 2ND APPROACH WAS EXTENDED, HOWEVER, THE ACFT WAS 50-100 FT AGL AT THE THRESHOLD. A 2ND GO-AROUND WAS INITIATED 1/3 DOWN THE RWY. THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR THE 3RD APPROACH WAS EXTENDED EVEN FURTHER. THE APPROACH APPEARED TO BE SLOW. THE 3RD GO- AROUND WAS INITIATED 100-150 FT AGL NEAR THE APPROACH END OF THE RWY. A SLOW CLIMBING TURN WAS MADE TO THE LEFT. AS THE ACFT BEGAN A 2ND CIRCLE THE NOSE PITCHED UP & THE ACFT STALLED. LINE PERSONNEL ESTIMATED THE WINDS AS 350 DEG AT 20 KTS GUSTING 28 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 141 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 80 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 193 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 21, 1983; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PHF Newport News VA at 3:15 pm
- Destination: N67
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 24, 2,618 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 6 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from NXX, 7 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.