What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft experienced engine vibrations and crashed in a pasture. Burned. (.19) history of flight on October 30, 1995, at 1830 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N477SP, collided with the terrain during an emergency landing near lebanon, Virginia. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured. The airplane was destroyed. No flight plan had been filed and night visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated from Virginia highlands airport, abingdon, Virginia, at approximately 1820 eastern standard time, with an intended destination of tazewell county airport, richlands, Virginia. The pilot stated that he had just leveled the airplane off at five thousand five hundred feet when the airplane began to experience severe vibrations. The airplane's altitude was ocillating in pitch and yaw to such an extreme that the pilot decided to shut the engine off. Under night VMC conditions, the pilot was able to detect the headlights of vehicles below. With no landing light available, the pilot found a pasture to make the emergency landing. Upon landing, the nose and left main gear were sheared off and t he postimpact fire destroyed the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED ENGINE VIBRATIONS AND CRASHED IN A PASTURE. BURNED. (.19) HISTORY OF FLIGHT ON OCTOBER 30, 1995, AT 1830 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180, N477SP, COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING NEAR LEBANON, VIRGINIA. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS UNINJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED AND NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) PREVAILED. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS AIRPORT, ABINGDON, VIRGINIA, AT APPROXIMATELY 1820 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF TAZEWELL COUNTY AIRPORT, RICHLANDS, VIRGINIA. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD JUST LEVELED THE AIRPLANE OFF AT FIVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FEET WHEN THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE SEVERE VIBRATIONS. THE AIRPLANE'S ALTITUDE WAS OCILLATING IN PITCH AND YAW TO SUCH AN EXTREME THAT THE PILOT DECIDED TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. UNDER NIGHT VMC CONDITIONS, THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO DETECT THE HEADLIGHTS OF VEHICLES BELOW. WITH NO LANDING LIGHT AVAILABLE, THE PILOT FOUND A PASTURE TO MAKE THE EMERGENCY LANDING. UPON LANDING, THE NOSE AND LEFT MAIN GEAR WERE SHEARED OFF AND T HE POSTIMPACT FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.