Durrett Air Ranch Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Harding, West Virginia 26241
Saturday, August 27, 1988 17:45 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT DEPARTED MORGANTOWN, WV, EN ROUTE TO A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP, DURRETT AIR RANCH, NEAR HARDING, WV TO ATTEND A CESSNA 180 FLY-IN. HE STATED HE CIRCLED THE AIRSTRIP TO DETERMINE THE WIND AND RWY CONDITIONS. HE ALSO CALLED UNICOM FOR ACTIVE RWY INFO BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A REPLY. PLT STATED HE ELECTED TO LAND ON RWY 30 UNAWARE THAT THE 1500 FT RWY CONTAINED A STEEP DOWNSLOPE. THE ACFT TRAVELED OFF THE END OF THE RWY, INTO A RAVINE AND INTO A WOODED AREA WHERE IT NOSED OVER DURING THE LANDING ROLL. THE PLT REPORTED HE COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE ACCIDENT BY MAKING A LOW PASS OVER THE RWY OR BY INITIATING A GO-AROUND INSTEAD OF HESITATING DURING THE LANDING ROLL.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/27/1988
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1745
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City HARDING
Event State WEST VIRGINIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 26241
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport DURRETT AIR RANCH
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 2300
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 29
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 210
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
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 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 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1339
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 29 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1510
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37434
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:02PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2922A
NTSB Number BFO88LA079
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 180
Aircraft Series Identifier 180
Aircraft Serial Number 30122
Certified Max Gross Weight 2500
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 Apr 27 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 44
Airframe Hours 1016
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MICHAEL G QUINLAN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 5654 BRAIRDSFORD ROAD
Aircraft Owner City GIBSONIA
Aircraft Owner State PA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 15044
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MICHAEL G. QUINLAN
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address ROUTE 2, BOX 1857A
Operator City OKLAWAHA
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 32679
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 MGW
Departure City MORGANTOWN
Departure State WV
Departure Country
Departure Time 1715
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
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 30
Runway Length 1550
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --