North American NA-265-40 accident near Coatesville, Pennsylvania, December 12, 1983
On December 12, 1983 at about 5:39 pm local time, a North American NA-265-40, registered N3298D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Coatesville, Pennsylvania (Coatesville airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 1983 · about 5:39 pm local time
- Place
- Coatesville, Pennsylvania · Coatesville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- North American NA-265-40 · all NA-265-40s on the register
- Registration
- N3298D · no longer on the register · serial 18650
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN IFR ARRIVAL, AN ILS APCH WAS MADE TO RWY 29 IN RAIN, TURBULENCE & GUSTY WINGS. AT APRX 400 FT AGL, THE ACFT BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS WHILE ON THE LOCALIZER GLIDE SLOPE. THE AIRSPEED AT THAT TIME WAS 8 KTS ABOVE THE REFERENCE SPEED, BUT WAS FLUCTUATING DUE TO THE TURBULENCE. THE PLT REPORT THAT JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT SETTLED & PARTIAL POWER WAS APPLIED; HOWEVER, THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON SOFT, WET TURF APRX 20 FT SHORT OF THE RWY LIP. IMMEDIATELY AFTER GROUND CONTACT, A JOLT WAS FELT & THE ACFT LISTED TO THE RIGHT. THE PLT COMPENSATED WITH AILERON CONTROL. HOWEVER, AS THE ACFT SLOWED DOWN DURING THE ROLL-OUT, THE RIGHT WING DROPPED TO THE SURFACE & THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY. IT CAME TO REST WITH THE RIGHT GEAR PARTIALLY COLLAPSED & DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING TIP, RIGHT MAIN GEAR STRUT DOOR, SPEED BRAKE & OTHER 2 GEAR. APRX 12 MI SOUTH SOUTHEAST AT WILMINGTON, DE, THE WIND WAS FROM 200 DEG AT 16 GUSTING 26 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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,082 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 7,524 as pilot in command; 2,226 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,295 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, October 18, 1982; 132 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 18,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT12A-8 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: White Plains NY at 5:05 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29, 4,600 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 16 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded at 400 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from ILG, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC84FA047.