- Date
- May 29, 1990, 22:53 local (May 30, 1990, 02:53 UTC)
- Place
- Anawalt, WV
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5803NRockwell 114
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900529017819A
- Case key
- 11547
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 proper altitude and clearance above the terrain. Factors related to the accident were: darkness, mountainous terrain, and low ceiling.
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
During a VFR flt from myrtle beach, SC, to welch, WV, the plt landed at bluefield, WV, where he refueled & obtained a wx briefing. At 2241 EDT, the he took off on the last leg of the flt. About 12 mi wnw of bluefield, the acft collided with steep rising terrain about 100 ft below the top of a mountain. Impact occurred at an elevation of about 2800 ft & aprx 4 mi left of a direct line between bluefield & welch. The 2249 EDT wx at bluefield was in part: low sct clouds, 1200 ft ovc, vis 7 mi, wind from 250 deg at 4 KTS. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the acft was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5803N
- Reported as
- Rockwell 114
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14371
- Airframe hours
- 1,572
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-T4B5D, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles T. Seay
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 23, 1989 · 94 hours before
- Departed
- BLF · Bluefield, WV
- Destination
- I25 · Welch, WV
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 378 total · 346 in this make and model · 301 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- BLF, 12 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.