Piper PA-34-220T accident near Turbotville, Pennsylvania, September 30, 1984
On September 30, 1984 at about 4:16 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-220T, registered N999YP, was destroyed in an accident near Turbotville, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 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
- September 30, 1984 · about 4:16 pm local time
- Place
- Turbotville, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-220T · all PA-34-220Ts on the register
- Registration
- N999YP · no longer on the register · serial 348233112
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE THE ACFT WAS EN ROUTE, ATC ADVISED THE PLT OF VFR TRAFFIC AT HIS ONE O'CLOCK POSITION AT 12 MI ON A NW HEADING. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT REPORTED THAT HE HAD NO CONTACT & SAID THE WX WAS A LITTLE HAZY. A SHORT TIME LATER, ATC ADVISED THE TRAFFIC WAS CLEAR & THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED. THIS WAS THE LAST TRANSMISSION FROM THE ACFT. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, A PA-28 PLT ON A 150 DEG HDG SAW AN ACFT (N999YP) AT HIS ONE O'CLOCK POSITION ON A EASTERLY HDG, ABOUT 1 MI AHEAD. HE REPORTED THAT THE ACFT WAS IN A SHALLOW NOSE-DOWN PITCH ATTITUDE & APPEARED TO BE TRAVELING VERY FAST. WHEN THE ACFT MOVED TO HIS 11 O'CLOCK POSITION, IT CAME APART IN THE AIR AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 5000 TO 5500 FT. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND FRAGMENTED & SCATTERED OVER A 3000 FT AREA ON AN EAST-WEST DIRECTION. THE STABILATORS HAD SEPARATED FROM THE EMPENNAGE & THE WINGS HAD SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE WING CENTER SPAR WAS FOUND BENT & HAD FAILED FROM OVERLOAD. WX STUDY SHOWED PROBABLE LGT TO MOD TURBC AT 7000 TO 8000 FT MSL. SEAT BELTS/SHLDR HARNESSES WERE UNFASTENED/UNDAMAGED.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 820 hours in all; 27 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 454 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 1983; 112 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental L/TSIO-360-KB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CAK Akron OH at 2:50 pm
- Destination: TEB Teterboro NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:33 pm from IPT, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.