- Date
- February 24, 1990, 09:34 local (14:34 UTC)
- Place
- Dungannon, VA
- Injuries
- 3 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3484WPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900224002859A
- Case key
- 11582
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 planning/decision, which resulted in fuel starvation and loss of engine power, and failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the aircraft during the emergency landing. Factors related to the accident were: the adverse weather conditions, the pilot becoming lost/disoriented, the subsequent low fuel supply, and the aircraft's excessive aft center-of-gravity (CG).
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 VFR plt departed tulsa, OK, on a flt to bristol, TN, with a full load of fuel. No en route stops were made. In the area of bristol, the plt ctcd tri-city apch ctl & requested radar vectors to the tri-city arpt. However, the acft's alt was low & radar ctc with apch ctl was not made. The plt believed he was sw of the arpt, but atlanta ARTCC noted the acft was 40 mi nw of tri-city. The plt was adzd of his psn, but he contd on an easterly hdg. The psgrs noted turbc, snw showers & reduced vis. Subsequently, the plt elected to lnd on a street in Dungannon, VA. Svrl witnesses noted an interruption of eng pwr before the acft was lndd. Rprtdly, the acft touched down hard, then bounced & went to the left of the street, hitting the porch of a house. Though an interruption of eng pwr was rprtd, the prop blades had evidence of rotational dmg. The fuel sel was fnd psnd to the rgt otbrd tank; the 2 rgt tanks had abt 1 qt of fuel remaining. CG of the acft was calculated to be behind the aft limit.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3484W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-362
- Airframe hours
- 4,585
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-4EB5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Teen Main Ministries, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 29, 1989 · 151 hours before
- Departed
- RVS · Tulsa, OK
- Destination
- TRI · Bristol, TN
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 393 total · 280 in this make and model · 334 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 22 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TRI, 21 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.