Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Front Royal, Virginia 22630
Saturday, August 8, 1992 9:00 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

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.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

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.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/8/1992
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 900
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City FRONT ROYAL
Event State VIRGINIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 22630
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 851 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 80
Weather Observation Facility ID IAD
Elevation of weather observation facility 313
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 34
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 2600
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1200
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) 6
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 19
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 190
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2488
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 9 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2220
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47260
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:13PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N90PD
NTSB Number NYC92FA153
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name DANNY M DAMRON
Aircraft Model LONG EZ
Aircraft Series Identifier LONG EZ
Aircraft Serial Number 1360
Certified Max Gross Weight 1425
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 27 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 5
Airframe Hours 52
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DANNY M. DAMRON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3203 ATHENS COURT
Aircraft Owner City GLENN ALLEN
Aircraft Owner State VA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 23060
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name SCOTT H. HASLAM
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 10007 CHRISTIANO DRIVE
Operator City GLENN ALLEN
Operator State VA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 23060
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code W83
Departure City HANOVER
Departure State VA
Departure Country
Departure Time 815
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code N68
Destination City CHAMBERSBURG
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 10:35AM
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 --