Piper PA-28-181 accident near Poughkeepsie, New York, October 11, 1983
On October 11, 1983 at about 6:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N30460, was destroyed in an accident near Poughkeepsie, New York (Dutchess County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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 11, 1983 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- Poughkeepsie, New York · Dutchess County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N30460 · registry record · serial 28-7990091
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING A FORCED LANDING AFTER THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PLT HAD LET DOWN THROUGH CLOUDS DURING A DESCENT FOR A VOR-DME APPROACH. THE ACFT BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 2500 FT, SEEING THE ARPT THE PLT CANCELLED IFR. AFTER GETTING RWY INFORMATION THE PLT TURNED DOWNWIND AND THE ENGINE STOPPED. HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND CRASH LANDED IN A WOODED AREA. THE CARBURETOR HEAT WAS FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY DURING A POST ACCIDENT TEST.
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; instructor: instrument airplane
- Flight time: 838 hours in all; 205 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 6,411 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,097 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 1983; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DXR Danbury CT
- Destination: POU Poughkeepsie NY
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 6, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; ovct
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Observation at 6:48 pm from POU
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.