- Date
- March 17, 1991, 20:00 local (Mar 18, 1991, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Roanoke, VA
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4870TPiper PA32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910317056139A
- Case key
- 11662
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance on a night visual approach.
Analysis
The aircraft was on an night IFR flight from Washington's dulles airport to Roanoke, Virginia. The pilot reported that from an altitude of 5000 feet on a right base leg, he was cleared for a visual approach to runway 24. He advised the tower that he had all terrain in sight and stated that the the ATIS had indicated a 25,000 foot overcast with 15 miles visibility. At 6.2 nautical miles (loran c) from the runway, he stated that the aircraft encountered a downdraft and struck the top of a tree on a mountain ridge. He maintained control of the aircraft and landed on runway 24.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4870T
- Reported as
- Piper PA32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7200026
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Joseph B. Bledsoe
- Registered owner
- G. L. Freeman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 15, 1990 · 1,934 hours before
- Departed
- IAD · Washington, VA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ROA · Roanoke Reg Apt, runway 24, 6,800 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 493 total · 38 in this make and model · 355 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ROA, 6 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.