Piper PA-28-151 accident near Westerly, Rhode Island, April 22, 1984
On April 22, 1984 at about 4:45 am local time, a Piper PA-28-151, registered N7634F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Westerly, Rhode Island (Westerly State airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. 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 22, 1984 · about 4:45 am local time
- Place
- Westerly, Rhode Island · Westerly State
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-151 · all PA-28-151s on the register
- Registration
- N7634F · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 32, THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED TREES LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 600 YARD SHORT OF THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PASSENGER STATED AFTER THE ACCIDENT THAT AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE RUNWAY, HE NOTICED THE ACFT WAS 'A BIT TOO CLOSE TO THE TREES' AND THAT THE ACFT DESCENDED GRADUALLY INTO THE TREES.
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: 159 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 121 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 21, 1983; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TEB Teterboro NJ
- Destination: WST Westerly RI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:40 pm from WST
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.