- Date
- July 22, 1989, 14:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Blacksburg, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N69WPPiper PA-32R-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890722024759A
- Case key
- 11518
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain control of the aircraft during the landing flare/touchdown. Factors related to the accident were: adverse wind conditions and the pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind.
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 noted that during arrival, the wind sock was limp. He tried to contact UNICOM, but there was no answer, so he elected to land on rwy 30. He stated that during the landing, the plane touched down & 'flipped over on rollout.' An inv revealed evidence that the acft had impacted on the rwy, then skidded off the left side at an angle. Pieces of the left wing were remaining on the rwy. The plane came to rest inverted (71 ft left of the rwy) after skidding svrl hundredft. Its left wing had sepd near the wing root & the rgt wing was extensively dmgd. One witness stated that the plane 'seemed to touch the ground nose first and fall apart.' Another witness stated that 'before hitting the runway, it looked as though the plane tilted slightly to the right and the nose began to rise. When the plane hit the runway, it tilted to the right breaking the wing off.' The plt believed he had enctrd unfavorable wind; after the acdnt, he estd the wind was fm 060 deg a 5 KTS. Aprx 23 mi south at roanoke, the wind was calm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N69WP
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R7780420
- Airframe hours
- 2,300
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John Edward Moenmich
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 21, 1989
- Departed
- OSU · Columbus, OH
- Destination
- BCB
- Airport
- BCB · Virginia Tech, runway 30, 4,200 × 100 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 450 total · 200 in this make and model · 350 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ROA, 23 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.