NTSB CAROL · Event
Event DCA83AA014
Registry · N8053U
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
PIPER PA-30
Year of manufacture
1966 · 17 years old at event
TCDS
A1EA · PIPER AIRCRAFT INC
Engine
LYCOMING IO-320 SERIES (150 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date
19981212
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AAF744
Registrant of record
MALCOMSON KENNETH L
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE TAKEOFF ROLL WAS NORMAL, & THE ACFT ROTATED TO A TAKEOFF ATTITUDE ABOUT 1/2 TO 2/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RWY. AFTER LIFT-OFF, THE ACFT'S PITCH ATTITUDE STEEPENED & THE PLANE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 1000 FT AGL. THE ACFT THEN ROLLED TO THE RIGHT, ENTERED A STEEP DESCENT, CRASHED, & BURNED. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS FOUND AT 7.5 UNITS ACFT NOSE UP (ANU). ABOUT 65 SECS BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE 1ST OFFICER & 2ND OFFICER CHANGED DUTY POSITIONS. THE BOARD FOUND THAT THE FLTCREW FAILED TO FOLLOW PROCEDURAL CHECKLIST REQUIREMENTS & TO DETECT & CORRECT A MISTRIMMED STABILIZER BEFORE THE ACFT BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE. THE CAPTAIN HAD ALLOWED THE 2ND OFFICER TO OCCUPY THE 1ST OFFICER'S SEAT. THE 2ND OFFICER HAD PREVIOUSLY TAKEN UPGRADE TRAINING TO BECOME A 1ST OFFICER, BUT WAS UNABLE EVEN WITH EXTENDED TRAINING & HAD VOLUNTEERED TO FOREGO FURTHER BIDDING FOR THE POSITION OF 1ST OFFICER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1983_DCA83AA014.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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