- Date
- August 8, 1992, 09:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Front Royal, VA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N90PDDanny M Damron Long EZ
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 37069
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 self induced pressure to complete the flight which resulted in intentional flight into IMC conditions, and a collision with trees. Factors related to the accident were the pilot's over confidence in his abilities, and the low clouds and fog which obscured the ridge line.
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 departed on a cross country trip after he received a weather briefing which included an advisory for mountain obscurement along his route of flight. En route he encountered low clouds and fog over a ridge line which was the high point between his departure point and the intended destination. The pilot continued on course to the VOR and the airplane struck trees at an elevation of approximately 3200 feet. The highest elevation near the accident site was 3368 feet. Debris was scattered along the flight path for 200 feet. The airplane was not certified for flight in instrument meteorological conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90PD
- Reported as
- Danny M Damron Long EZ
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1360
- Airframe hours
- 52
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Scott H. Haslam
- Registered owner
- Danny M. Damron
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 27, 1992 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- W83 · Hanover, VA
- Destination
- N68 · Chambersburg, PA
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
- 35
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 5 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IAD, 34 nm away