- Date
- May 21, 1985, 21:58 local (May 22, 1985, 01:58 UTC)
- Place
- Charleston, WV
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8460MPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850521018889A
- Case key
- 6615
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.
In flight encounter with weather
Weather condition - fog
Preflight planning/preparation - inadequateFactor
Lack of total instrument timeFactor
Weather evaluation - poorFactor
Overconfidence in personal abilityFactor
In-flight planning/decision - poorCause
Overconfidence in personal abilityFactor
Light condition - dark night
Flight into known adverse weather - continuedCause
In flight collision with terrain/water
Proper glidepath - not maintainedCause
Visual/aural perceptionCause
Ifr procedure - not understoodCause
Lack of total instrument timeCause
Analysis
The acft collided with the terrain about 1 mile short of the rwy threshold during an IFR apprch on a dark night in IMC wx. The plt had been briefed on the wx and was given the ceiling at his destination as below VFR minimums . The non-instrument rated plt chose to try an approach anyway instead of going to an alternate arpt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8460M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8290054
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Atlantic National Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 5, 1985 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- 1G3 · Kent, OH
- Destination
- CRW · Charleston, WV
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Airport
- CRW · Yeager, runway 23, 6,302 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 351 total · 43 in this make and model · 302 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRW, 1 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.