- Date
- September 23, 1984, 17:05 local (21:05 UTC)
- Place
- Bayse, VA
- Injuries
- 4 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N75122Piper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11108
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
According to witnesses, the acft became airborne after rolling only about 1500 ft. it was described a being 'behind the power curve' for a considerable distance before climbing abruptly. The acft then banked steeply to the left & collided with a ridge at aprx 1840 ft MSL. The accident occurred about 3 miles south of the arpt. The arpt elev was 1263 ft. an investigation revealed that the acft was aprx 75 lbs over its max gross wt limit during takeoff. The density alt was computed to be 3000 ft. a check of the plt's blood showed that it had an alcohol level of 0.158% (158 mg%), aprx 3 hrs after the accident. A check of the rgt front seat occupants blood showed an alcohol level of 0.246% (246 mg%).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75122
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7625201
- Airframe hours
- 1,684
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Roger A. Sawtell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 8, 1984 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- W92 · Bayse, VA
- Destination
- GAI · Gaithersburg, MD
- Airport
- Sky Bryce, runway 23, 2,240 × 50 ft, gravel
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 322 total · 154 in this make and model · 266 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MRB, 50 nm away