- Date
- August 13, 1985, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Culpeper, VA
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7372KPiper PA-20-125
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850813038439A
- Case key
- 11140
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
Witnesses stated that the takeoff roll began about 2000 ft from the departure end of the 2300 ft sod rwy. The a/c lifted off from a 3-point attitude and climbed at a high angle of attack, 'mushing along' until it fell off on the rt wing and struck the ground about 300 ft bynd the departure end of the rwy. Wreckage examination disclosed that the stabilizer trim was set to 2/3 of its full nose up travel. Performance calculations revealed that 2100 ft is req'd to clear a 50 ft obstacle from a level, dry, paved rwy. Pilot in command was former naval aviator who had been an airline plt since 1967. However, he had flown as a B-727 flight engineer during that entire time. The owner of N7372K estimated that the plt had flown the a/c about 50 hrs during the preceeding few months.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7372K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20-125
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-281
- Airframe hours
- 1,865
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Stewart Eames
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 24, 1984 · 25 hours before
- Destination
- W93 · Orange, VA
- Airport
- VA30 · Berryvale, runway 20, 2,300 × ft, grass/turf
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
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, 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
- 11,500 total · 50 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IAD, 35 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.
Other investigations on N7372K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.