- Date
- August 13, 1989, 03:00 local (07:00 UTC)
- Place
- Leesburg, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4325VPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890813028899A
- Case key
- 11521
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot which resulted in his inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain proper alignment, while landing at night on a road. The weather conditions, dark night, and pole/reflectors beside the road were considered to be contributing factors.
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 was on a round robin flt from Leesburg, VA, with en route stops at frederick, MD & winchester, VA. After an aprx 4 hr stopover at winchester, he did not update his wx briefing before depg on the rtrn trip to Leesburg. While on the rtrn flt, he had to dscnd due to a lower ceiling. He stated that he performed a 180 deg turn to return to winchester; however, the wx in that drctn had also deteriorated. Being concerned about the wx & his low fuel state, he elected to reverse course again & cont to his original destn (Leesburg). The wx contd to deteriorate, so he then elected to land on a highway (route 15). Drg the landing roll-out, the left wing contacted road reflectors & a pole, damaging the acft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4325V
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8416017
- Airframe hours
- 1,797
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Janelle Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 27, 1989
- Departed
- Winchester, VA
- Destination
- W09 · Leesburg, VA
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 72 total · 72 in this make and model · 35 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IAD, 9 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 N4325V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.