Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Anawalt, West Virginia 24808
Tuesady, May 29, 1990 22:53 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING A VFR FLT FROM MYRTLE BEACH, SC, TO WELCH, WV, THE PLT LANDED AT BLUEFIELD, WV, WHERE HE REFUELED & OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING. AT 2241 EDT, THE HE TOOK OFF ON THE LAST LEG OF THE FLT. ABOUT 12 MI WNW OF BLUEFIELD, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH STEEP RISING TERRAIN ABOUT 100 FT BELOW THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN. IMPACT OCCURRED AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 2800 FT & APRX 4 MI LEFT OF A DIRECT LINE BETWEEN BLUEFIELD & WELCH. THE 2249 EDT WX AT BLUEFIELD WAS IN PART: LOW SCT CLOUDS, 1200 FT OVC, VIS 7 MI, WIND FROM 250 DEG AT 4 KTS. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE AND CLEARANCE ABOVE THE TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, AND LOW CEILING.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/29/1990
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 2253
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City ANAWALT
Event State WEST VIRGINIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 24808
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 5
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 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2249 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 104
Weather Observation Facility ID BLF
Elevation of weather observation facility 2857
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 12
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 1200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 10
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 8
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.9
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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 4
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2143
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 31 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 620
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45218
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:38AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5803N
NTSB Number BFO90FA050
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 Rockwell
Aircraft Model 114
Aircraft Series Identifier 114
Aircraft Serial Number 14371
Certified Max Gross Weight 3140
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 Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jul 23 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 94
Airframe Hours 1572
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHARLES T. SEAY
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX C
Aircraft Owner City WELCH
Aircraft Owner State WV
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 24801
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code BLF
Departure City BLUEFIELD
Departure State WV
Departure Country
Departure Time 2241
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code I25
Destination City WELCH
Destination State WV
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 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --