Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Roanoke Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Roanoke, Virginia 24012
Friday, March 22, 1996 19:08 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that the airplane's engine lost power at night when he was about ten miles south of Roanoke airport at 11,500 feet MSL. The pilot requested and received clearance for an emergency landing at Roanoke, and ATC vectored the airplane for a straight-in approach. The pilot reported the airport lights in sight from six miles and was cleared to land. The pilot stated that when the airplane was about 1/2 mile from the runway, he realized that he would not be able to reach the runway. He landed in a shopping mall parking lot about 1/2 mile south of the airport. During the landing, the airplane struck a vehicle and a light pole. Postaccident examination did not revealed a preimpact mechanical malfunction. The engine operated normally during a postaccident engine test run. The pilot reported that he performed his emergency descent at 90 KIAS, and did not complete the emergency check list procedures. According to the aircraft manufacturer, the best glide speed was 65 KIAS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s). Darkness and the pilot's improper emergency procedures were related factors.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/22/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1908 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | ROANOKE |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 24012 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | ROANOKE REGIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ROA |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 150 |
| Airport Elevation | 1176 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1850 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 150 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ROA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1176 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Bright |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 674 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 21 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2158 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 9:53AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N108RV |
| NTSB Number | IAD96LA053 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17267233 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 1 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 298 |
| Airframe Hours | 6550 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | W. JAMES LEE, III |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P. O. BOX 96 |
| Aircraft Owner City | MARSTELLER |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 15760 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | HKY |
| Departure City | HICKORY |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1740 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | B17 |
| Destination City | BEDFORD COUNTY |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |