BFO85FA067

NTSB accident investigation · Bellanca 17-31A · Woodbridge, VA · August 13, 1985

Accident · FatalField investigationFinal report
Date
August 12, 1985, 22:06 local (Aug 13, 1985, 02:06 UTC)
Place
Woodbridge, VA
Injuries
2 fatal, 1 serious
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N8242RBellanca 17-31A
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
Case key
11139

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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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.

Loss of control - in flightGo-around (vfr)
In-flight planning/decision - improperPilot in commandCause
Landed at wrong airport - inadvertentPilot in commandFactor
Go-around - delayedPilot in commandCause
Object - tree(s)Factor
Pull-up - excessivePilot in commandCause
Airspeed - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled
Object - tree(s)
Terrain condition - ground

Analysis

The acft departed saratoga springs, NY, en route to manassas, VA. Wx was VFR and as the acft approached gaithersburg, MD, at 2132 LCL the plt contacted dulles apch for vectors through the area to manassas. The acft was issued a heading to manassas. Shortly thereafter the plt reported having manassas in sight. The the plt then made a visual apch to rwy 01 at Woodbridge aprt. Although a witness reported hearing the plt make radio calls that he was entering the patternat manassas, he reported never seeing an acft in the manassas traffic pattern. According to the surviving passenger, theplt had trouble getting the rwy lights to activate at the arpt (Woodbridge) and a go-around was attempted. He next recalled seeing trees and the acft impacting the trees. The acft contacted the terrain in a nose down attitude aprx 375 ft north of the departure end of rwy 01 at Woodbridge arpt. Woodbridge has low intensity rwy lights which are on from dusk to 0400Z. Manassas had radio operated medium intensity rwy lights.

Aircraft

Registration
N8242R
Reported as
Bellanca 17-31A
Category
Airplane
Serial number
32.87
Airframe hours
1,761
Engine
Lycoming IO-540-K1E5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Business · Part 91
Operator
H. E. Johnson
Registered owner
Airways Transportation, Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · August 6, 1985 · 5 hours before
Departed
5B2 · Saratoga Sprgs, NY
Destination
W10 · Manassas, VA
Flight plan
Unknown
Airport
W22 · Woodbridge, runway 1, 2,250 × 45 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
45
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Toxicology
Performed
Flight hours
508 total · 64 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
Wind
250° at 3 knots
Visibility
7 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
75 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
IAD, 10 nm away