Piper PA-34-200T accident near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, April 7, 1984
On April 7, 1984 at about 3:35 am local time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registered N33569, was destroyed in an accident near Johnstown, Pennsylvania (Johnstown Cambria County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was 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
- April 7, 1984 · about 3:35 am local time
- Place
- Johnstown, Pennsylvania · Johnstown Cambria County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200T · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N33569 · no longer on the register · serial PA-34-200T
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT TOOK OFF WITH A CENTER OF GRAVITY BET 95.45 & 95.71 INCHES AFT OF THE DATUM & APRX 98 LBS BELOW THE MAX ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT. THE MAX AFT CG LIMIT FOR ALL WEIGHTS WAS 94.6 INCHES. WX AT THE APRX TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 400 FT CEILING, LIGHT SNOWSHOWERS, 4 MILES VISIBILITY WITH FOG, TEMP 29F, DEW POINT 29F. A SIGMET FOR MOD TO SEVERE ICING IN CLOUDS WAS ALSO IN EFFECT. THE ACFT IMPACTED IN A 30 TO 40 DEG LEFT BANK. IMPACT OCCURRED APRX 1800 FT FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RWY. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF INFLIGHT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OF THE POWERPLANTS. ALTHOUGH THEACFT ARRIVED AT JOHNSTOWN WITH ICE ON THE WINGS AND TAIL, THE PLT RECEIVED A FULL WX BRIEFING AND WAS AWARE OF THE ICINGCONDITIONS PRIOR TO HIS LAST TAKEOFF. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE PLT DID NOT DEICE THE ACFT'S WINGS AND TAIL PRIOR THE ACCIDENT FLT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,875 hours in all; 440 in this make and model; 84 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,351 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 4, 1983; 234 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JST Johnstown PA at 3:34 am
- Destination: SPI Springfield IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12, 3,694 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 290° at 13 knots, gusting 17
- Sky: not recorded at 400 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:52 am from JST, 1 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.