Piper PA-44-180 accident near Gig Harbor, Washington, December 9, 1984
On December 9, 1984 at about 1:17 pm local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N2104D, was destroyed in an accident near Gig Harbor, Washington. 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
- December 9, 1984 · about 1:17 pm local time
- Place
- Gig Harbor, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N2104D · no longer on the register · serial 447995129
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT DEPARTED IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS FROM SALEM, OR, DESTINED FOR GIG HARBOR. UPON ARRIVAL IN THE DESTINATION AREA THE PLT WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH SEATTLE APCON. THE PLT REPORTED HE WAS UNABLE TO AQUIRE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ARPT. VECTORS WERE PROVIDED BY CONTROLLERS. RADAR INFO OBTAINED DURING THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT WAS IN A CONSISTENT DESCENT WITH THE LOWEST ALT READING BEING 300 FT MSL. THE LAST RADAR TARGET RECEIVED SHOWED THE ACFT WITHIN 1000 FT OF THE HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINE AT 600 FT. THE WEATHER WAS DESCRIBED AS BEING FOGGY NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE AREA. THE PLT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED.
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
- Flight time: 414 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 364 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,249 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 14, 1984; 119 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-E1A6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SLE Salem OR at 8:00 am
- Destination: TIW Tacoma WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 pm from TCM, 10 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.