Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Roanoke Reg Apt Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Roanoke, Virginia 24012
Sunday, March 17, 1991 20:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
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.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN TERRAIN CLEARANCE ON A NIGHT VISUAL APPROACH.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/17/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2000 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | ROANOKE |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 24012 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | ROANOKE REG APT |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 1176 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2000 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 240 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ROA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1176 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Overcast |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| 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) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| 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) | 0 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1116 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 44128 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 9:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4870T |
| NTSB Number | BFO91LA032 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA32-260 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA32-260 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-7200026 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3900 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 15 1990 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1934 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | G. L. FREEMAN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2800 GLENEAGLES RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | SALEM |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JOSEPH B. BLEDSOE |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1950 MONTCLAIR DR. |
| Operator City | ROANOKE |
| Operator State | VA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 24019 |
| 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 | IAD |
| Departure City | WASHINGTON |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| 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 | 24 |
| Runway Length | 6800 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |