- Date
- September 19, 1990, 16:55 local (20:55 UTC)
- Place
- Wiley Ford, WV
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8249JPiper PA-601P
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900919041199A
- Case key
- 11557
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 improper IFR procedure by not maintaining sufficient altitude, while circling to land. Factors related to the accident were: the low ceiling and visibility conditions in fog.
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 was cleared for an approach to the airport. He received airport advisories from the airport UNICOM operator & asked that the runway lights be turned up. Soon afterwards, the airplane was seen approaching runway 23, which was served by a localizer approach. A witness at the airport said he saw the plane flying in & out of low hanging clouds. He said the airplane appeared to be at level flight, about 400 to 500 feet AGL, then it passed over the airport & went in a steep left turn. After about 90 degrees of turn, the airplane began a shallow descent. It rolled out of the turn before it descended into the ground about 1/4 mile from the approach end of runway 28. The witness said he heard engine sounds throughout the descent. An examination of the airplane did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunction. A post-mortem examination did not reveal evidence of impairment or incapacitation of the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8249J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-601P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 610-7963302
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- National Jet Co. Inc.
- Registered owner
- National Jet Co. Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- JGG · Williamsburg, VA
- Destination
- CBE · Cumberland, MD
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CBE · Cumberland Municipal, runway 23, 5,048 × 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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,350 total · 1,200 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CBE, 1 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.