# Accident 19890407045359A: Piper PA28180, Stuarts Draft, VA, April 7, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 7, 1989, 10:05 local time
- Place: Stuarts Draft, VA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Scud Running
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.0209° N, 79.0194° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.0209&lon=-79.0194&mi=10
- Aircraft: N44510, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N44510-1994-08-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28180
- Reported engine: LYC O360A4A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 2,850 total, 1,500 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB BFO89FA081](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO89FA081) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890407045359A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

FLEW INTO TREES ON A CLOUD OBSCURED MOUNTAIN. NO RECORD OF WEATHER BRIEFING AND NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB BFO89FA081](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO89FA081), Apr 7, 1989: Piper PA-28-180 (N44510), Stuarts Draft, VA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE ABOVE THE TERRAIN AFTER FLYING VFR INTO IMC. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LOW CEILING AND FOG CONDITIONS AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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