# Accident 19900828037049A: Piper PA28R180, Richlands, VA, August 28, 1990

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 28, 1990, 02:03 local time
- Place: Richlands, VA
- Airport: Richlands Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.0905° N, 81.7996° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.0905&lon=-81.7996&mi=10
- Aircraft: N885MA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N885MA-2013-05-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28R-180 (registry code 7102809, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28R180
- Reported engine: LYC IO360B1E
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Pilot flight hours: 126 total, 10 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB BFO90FA073](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO90FA073) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900828037049A

## Narrative

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

FLEW INTO IMC AT NIGHT. INDICATES VFR LOW TIME PILOT WAS DESCENDING TO RETURN TO AIRPORT. VERTIGO SPIRAL DIVE.

## 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 BFO90FA073](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO90FA073), Aug 28, 1990: Piper PA-28R-180 (N885MA), Richland, VA, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER CLEARANCE FROM HIGH TERRAIN. DARKNESS AND THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE RELATED…

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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