- Date
- November 14, 1982, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Spencer, VA
- Injuries
- 8 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3538RPiper PA-31-310
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821114070389A
- Case key
- 72665
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot filed an IFR clearance and took off on runway 30 after dark. At that time, the airport manager was in his living quarters, getting ready to eat his evening meal. He reported that from his position, the takeoff height looked normal. As the aircraft departed, he noticed no unusual sounds, except he heard what he thought was shots from a rifle. Another witness heard what he described as a loud pop and the sound of engine sputter followed by a crash sound. Later, the aircraft wreckage was found about 1 1/2 mi northwest of the airport. The investigation revealed that it had collided with trees and the wreckage was scattered over an area about 1000 ft long. No preimpact malfunction or failure of the engines was found. The propeller blades were found twisted and bent. The flight controls were all accounted for and examined and no preimpact failures were found. No bullet impact marks were found on any piece of the wreckage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3538R
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-310
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-7912115
- Airframe hours
- 847
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-A2C, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- 7 C'S Transportation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- 7 C'S Transportation, Inc.
- Departed
- C · Spencer, VA
- Destination
- C · Greenville, SC
- Airport
- MTV · Blue Ridge Airport, runway 30, 3,600 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,250 total · 300 in this make and model · 1,075 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Observed at
- DAN, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.