Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Gulf Of Mexico
Sunday, October 9, 1983 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT DISAPPEARED ON A FLT OVER A PART OF THE GULF OF MEXICO SOUTH OF CORPUS CHRISTI IN AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. THE STORMS WERE DENSELY PACKED AND IT WAS CONSIDERED UNLIKELY THAT VFR FLT COULD BE CONDUCTED IN THE AREA. THEACCIDENT ACFT WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH A FORMER INSTRUCTOR AND BROTHER-IN-LAW WHO WAS FLYING TO CORPUS CHRISTI IN A C-172. THE C-172 LANDED AT CORPUS DUE TO THE T-STORMS AND HAD LOST CONTACT WITH N4437T BEFORE LANDING. A PART OF A WING IDENTIFIED AS HAVING COME FROM N4437T WAS PICKED UP BY A SHRIMP BOAT ABOUT 3 WEEKS AFTER THE ACFT WAS MISSING. THE SEARCH BY THE CAP AND COAST GUARD FOUND NOTHING AND THE SEARCH WAS ENDED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/9/1983
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 0
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City GULF OF MEXICO
Event State GULF OF MEXICO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1851 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID CRP
Elevation of weather observation facility 10
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 600
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 19
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 20
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 17
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 3117
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 23466
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:16AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4437T
NTSB Number FTW84LAMS1
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Unknown
Aircraft Explosion Unknown
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-34-200
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-34-200
Aircraft Serial Number 34-7250095
Certified Max Gross Weight 3600
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JIMMY LEE EDWARDS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 505 DWYER
Aircraft Owner City ANGLETON
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 77515
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code HRL
Departure City HARLINGEN
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 1800
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code AAP
Destination City HOUSTON
Destination State TX
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Unknown
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --