NTSB CAROL · Event
Event SEA73FYE20
Registry · N9694W
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
PIPER PA-28-140
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19670515
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AD808E
Registrant of record
BERTSCH BRIAN
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Historical record (pre-1982)
NTSB recorded this accident in the pre-1982 coded-field schema — structured fields rather than free-text narrative. Decoded codes use established NTSB single-letter taxonomies; cause factors remain verbatim pending the Form 6120.4 codebook lookup.
Aircraft
PIPER PA-28 · N9694W
Damage
Substantial
Craft type
Airplane
Classification
Accident
Light condition
Night
Weather
VMC
Phase of flight
EB
Operator type
D
Airport
FROMBACH FIELD
Kind of flying
B0
Weather at impact
Sky
UNKNOWN/NOT REPORTED
Aircraft history
Serial number
000028-23166
Total time
1,283 hrs
Pilot
Certificate
Commercial — instrument
Total hours
50
Age
17
Probable cause (from PRE1982.MDB)
H AT DUSK.
Investigator remarks
PLT HAD .4 HRS NIGHT TIME. ATMTD STRAIGHT IN APC
Cause factors
- 64/C/48 C PILOT IN COMMAND MISJUDGED DISTANCE AND ALTITUDE Cause
- 64/C/15 C PILOT IN COMMAND FAILED TO SEE AND AVOID OBJECTS OR OBSTRUCTIONS Cause
- 64/C/02 C PILOT IN COMMAND ATTEMPTED OPERATION BEYOND EXPERIENCE/ABILITY LEVEL Cause
Decoded against the NTSB Form 6120.4 cause-factor codebook (ct_Pre1982 table). Each row shows the raw triplet, modifier (Cause / Factor / etc.), category, and specific code.
Source: NTSB pre-1982 historical archive. Docket
3 3689.
Source file
NTSB_1972_3_3689.txt.
Modern CAROL record on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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