Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
New Market, Virginia 22844
Thursday, July 4, 1991 8:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT WAS ADVISED DURING THE PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. THE PILOT INDICATED, DURING THE BRIEFING, THAT HE WAS GOING TO FIND AN INSTRUCTOR OR SOMEBODY WITH AN INSTRUMENT RATING TO FLY HIM TO THE INTENDED DESTINATION. ABOUT TWO HOURS LATER THE PILOT DEPARTED ALONE; HE REPORTED THAT HE PLANNED TO EITHER TURN AROUND OR GO TO AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT, IF THE WEATHER EN ROUTE DETERIORATED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE PROCEEDED EN ROUTE BY FOLLOWING A HIGHWAY. HE LOST SIGHT OF THE GROUND, DUE TO FOG, SO HE TURNED AROUND, BUT AS HE DID SO, THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE PITCHED DOWN, AND AS HE RECOVERED, HE SAW TREES IN THE PATH OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT STATED, 'I DECIDED IT WAS BEST TO PUT IT IN THE TREES.' THE PILOT SAID THE REASON THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN WAS FROM WINDS AROUND THE NEARBY MOUNTAINS, POSSIBLY CAUSING WIND SHEAR, AND WHICH HIS ALREADY SLOWER THAN NORMAL AIRSPEED, IT CAUSED HIM TO LOSE ALTITUDE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE INFLIGHT DECISION THAT RESULTED IN VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/4/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 800 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | NEW MARKET |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 22844 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 745 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 1 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CHO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Partial Obscuration |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 50 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2175 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 4 1991 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1800 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 47389 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:31AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N63817 |
| NTSB Number | BFO91LA063 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-23-250 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-23-250 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23-7754139 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5200 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 17 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 117 |
| Airframe Hours | 1900 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JOHN ROOT |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RT 1 BOX 224B |
| Aircraft Owner City | MOUNT SIDNEY |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 24467 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JOHN ROOT |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | RT 1 BOX 224B |
| Operator City | MOUNT SIDNEY |
| Operator State | VA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 24467 |
| 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 | SHD |
| Departure City | HARRISONBURG |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 745 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | HGR |
| Destination City | HAGERSTOWN |
| Destination State | MD |
| 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 | -- |