Piper PA-28-140 accident near Everett, Washington, August 31, 1983
On August 31, 1983 at about 12:01 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N6874J, was destroyed in an accident near Everett, Washington (Snohomish County airport). It was a personal 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
- August 31, 1983 · about 12:01 pm local time
- Place
- Everett, Washington · Snohomish County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6874J · no longer on the register · serial 287625250
- 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 AND THE GROUND IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE ARPT AFTER TAKEOFF. THE ACFT CRASHED ONE MILESOUTH OF THE ARPT IN IMC WEATHER IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING. WITNESSES SAID DENSE FOG EXISTED AT THE TIME WITH ZERO VISIBILITY. THE OFFICIAL WEATHER REPORT WAS TAKEN ABOUT 3 HOURS LATER AND REPORTED AN INDEFINITE CEILING,VISIBILITYZERO IN FOG. THE ACFT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE DEPARTED FROM THE SAME ARPT EARLIER BUT NO DEPARTURE TIME IS KNOWN. THE PLT'S BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS 0.14%.
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: 1,800 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 10 in the last 30 days; 11 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,383 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 6, 1983; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 pm from PAE, 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.