- Date
- August 28, 1989, 00:45 local (04:45 UTC)
- Place
- Lynchburg, VA
- Injuries
- 5 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N234JPiper PA-31-350
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890828031649A
- Case key
- 11472
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstructions because of improper IFR operation. Contributing to the accident was descent below decision height, delay in initiating the missed approach, and fog conditions.
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 pilot unsuccessfully tried twice to land on rwy 3. He did a visual approach and then an ILS approach. The pilot and witnesses reported foggy conditions at the airport. The pilot flew the ILS approach as a third attempt to land when the crash occurred. Radar data showed the aircraft desended to 1100 ft MSL on the approach, about 1/2 mile from the rwy. The published decision height was 1118 feet. The radar data indicated the cft passed east of the rwy threshold at an altitude of 1000 ft MSL. The next and last radar data shows the acft about 2300 ft beyond and 400 ft east of the rwy. The investigation revealed the aircraft struck trees east of the rwy and then crashed in a cornfield. An examination did not disclose evidence of a malfunction. The landing gear was retracted and the flaps were extended 10 degs.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N234J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-7952021
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Bay Land Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SBY · Salisbury, MD
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LYH · Lynchburg, runway 3, 5,799 × 150 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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,345 total · 190 in this make and model · 1,175 as pilot in command · 93 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LYH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.