- Date
- August 16, 1986, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Stanley, VA
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N36489Piper PA 28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860816040369A
- Case key
- 11220
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 acft collided with trees and the ground during a x-country flt over mountainous terrain. The plt had crossed the 1st ridge at aprx 800 ft AGL according to the plt. The front seat passenger said later that he complained several times during the flt that the acft was too low. He said that the plt told him that 'the scenary is better down here.' The passenger said that the acft was never higher than the third ridge. When the plt tried to climb over this third ridge the airspeed began to drop. The passenger stated that the plt continued a steady course toward the ridge and just prior to impact tried to climb steeper. The stall warning went off and shortly afterwards the acft impacted the trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N36489
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2807816641
- Airframe hours
- 2,843
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ft. Eustis Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 20, 1986 · 84 hours before
- Departed
- W45 · Luray, VA
- Destination
- FAF · Ft. Eustis, VA
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 26
- Certificates
- Military, Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,300 total · 24 in this make and model · 1,100 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.