- Date
- January 4, 1985, 18:52 local (23:52 UTC)
- Place
- West Point, VA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N275MAMitsubishi MU-2B-25
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11124
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
After being delayed at least 2 days at youngstown, OH, due to maintenance problems the plt departed at aprx 1725 hrs with the knowledge that the wx at his destination was ift to lifr. In addition, the plt was scheduled for a vacation and had expressed hopes of departing on it that evening. The acft was seen circling West Point municipal arpt in and out of low clouds, fog, and/or smoke from a nearby mill. Immediately before the acft collided with trees 6.5 miles west of the arpt, a witness saw red lights, one on the rear and one close to the front of the acft, which was estimated to be flying at aprx tree top level.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N275MA
- Reported as
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-25
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 255
- Airframe hours
- 45,804
- Engine
- Garrett TPE-3316-252M, 715 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Chesapeake Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 4, 1985 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- YNG · Youngstown, OH
- Destination
- W97 · West Point, VA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- W97 · West Point Muni, runway 27, 3,700 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 82,818 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 81,552 as pilot in command · 686 in the last 90 days · 503 in the last 30 days · 14 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 30° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RIC, 22 nm away