- Date
- February 25, 1984, 12:32 local (17:32 UTC)
- Place
- Bluefield, WV
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2160PPiper PA-23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19840225004639A
- Case key
- 6259
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
While cruising on an IFR flt at 10,000 ft, the plt informed atlanta center that he had an eng problem & was declaring an emergency. He was provided a heading to the Bluefield arpt which was nearby. When asked about the problem, he said the left eng was providing only partial power. Shortly thereafter, the passenger (his wife) saw a break in the clouds & the plt said he would circle & try to get down. He was informed that the highest obstacle in the area was at 3800 ft. he reported good ground contact, but said he still could not see the arpt. Radar contact was lost at low alt, but the plt flew to the Bluefield VOR, about 1/2 mi from the arpt. He then entered a turn away from the arpt, & shortly after that, the acft collided with trees on hilly terrain. The surface temp was 30 deg. Icy slush was found in the left gascolator. The fuel selectors were found in the 'aux' positions. No preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure was found. The blades of the left prop were found in a flat angle (not feathered) & bent aft with little rotational damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2160P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-762
- Airframe hours
- 6,328
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B/A3B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lamar R. Smith
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 27, 1984 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- CHO · Charlottesville, VA
- Destination
- BNA · Nashville, TN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BLF · Mercer Co., runway 23, 4,742 × 100 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
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 468 total · 74 in this make and model · 254 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BLF, 25 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.