- Date
- December 15, 1989, 19:33 local (Dec 16, 1989, 00:33 UTC)
- Place
- Staunton, VA
- Injuries
- 20 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N851JSBritish Aerospace BAE 3101
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 15, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891215066809A
- Case key
- 11539
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
The pilot's failure to properly align the airplane with the runway heading during the takeoff run. Factors related to the accident were: airport personnel's failure to assure that runway marking and edge lights were adequately cleared of snow, adverse environmental (night/weather/terrain/runway) conditions, and the pilot's lack of visual perception.
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.
On ground/water encounter with terrain/water
Airport facilities,runway edge lights - snow coveredFactor
Airport snow removal - inadequateFactor
Light condition - dark nightFactor
Weather condition - snowFactor
Weather condition - unfavorable windFactor
Proper alignment - not obtainedCause
Visual/aural perceptionFactor
Aborted takeoff
Terrain condition - snow coveredFactor
Terrain condition - rough/unevenFactor
Aircraft
- Registration
- N851JS
- Reported as
- British Aerospace BAE 3101
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 834
- Airframe hours
- 2,271
- Engine
- Garrett TPE 331, 940 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- US Air Leasing & Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · November 21, 1989 · 86 hours before
- Destination
- BWI · Baltimore, MD
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SHD · Shenandoah Valley, runway 23, 6,000 × 150 ft, macadam
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,750 total · 2,875 in this make and model · 6,412 as pilot in command · 220 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft
- Temperature
- 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SHD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.