- Date
- August 24, 1985, 17:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Afton, VA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1812VCessna 120
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850824076709A
- Case key
- 11141
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
The plt and his wife departed waynesboro arpt in reported VFR wx conditions at aprx 1700 hrs. According to the assistantarpt mgr the ceiling was about 2500 ft however, the mountain tops were obscured in the direction the acft flew towards. At about 1710 hrs the plt radioed back on umicom that he hadcrossed the mountain and was going home. About 45 seconds later, he was heard to say that he 'had hit scudd'. The wreckage was found at 2100 ft. an analysis of the wx done by an NTSB meteorologist indicated that cloud bases at the time and in the area of the accident were near 2000 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1812V
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 13997
- Airframe hours
- 5,662
- Engine
- Continental C85-12-F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert A. Gosnell
- Registered owner
- Robert C. Gosnell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 5, 1984 · 88 hours before
- Departed
- W13 · Waynesboro, VA
- Destination
- W98 · Chesterfield, VA
- Airport
- W13 · Waynesboro, runway 23, 2,000 × 50 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,003 total · 3,897 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.