Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Orange Co. Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Orange, Virginia 22960
Sunday, September 11, 1988 11:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WITNESSES SAID THEY SAW THE ACFT ON TAKEOFF ROLL NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF RWY 25. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESSES THE ACFT LIFTED OFF BUT SETTLED BACK DOWN ON THE RWY BEFORE IT LIFTED OFF AGAIN. WITNESSES SAID THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY TURNED LEFT AND BEGAN TO REVERSE COURSE. WITNESSES SAID THE ACFT WAS FLYING SLOWLY WITH THE WINGS ROCKING AS IT BEGAN TO TURN. THE ACFT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 50 FT AGL AND WAS ABOUT 300 FT SOUTH OF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY WHEN IT ABRUPTLY PITCHED DOWN AND DESCENDED TO THE GROUND. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. THE PILOT POSTMORTEM EXAMINATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT OR INCAPACITATION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
PILOT INITIATED LIFT OFF BEFORE FLYING SPEED WAS GAINED AND AS A RESULT THE AIRCRAFT HAD A LOSS OF AERODYNAMIC LIFT AND STALLED ON THE INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB. THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE INFLIGHT DECISION AND FAILURE TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/11/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1115 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | ORANGE |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 22960 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | ORANGE CO. |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | W93 |
| 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 | 454 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1049 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 85 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CHO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 641 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 15000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| 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) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1000 |
| 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) | 2337 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 11 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1130 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40433 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N98121 |
| NTSB Number | BFO88FA082 |
| 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 | J3C-65 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | J3C-65 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18276 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1220 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 28 1987 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 25 |
| Airframe Hours | 1326 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DAVID MARSHALL |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 500 DAVID ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | CHARLOTTESVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | DAVID MARSHALL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 500 DAVID ROAD |
| Operator City | CHARLOTTESVILLE |
| Operator State | VA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 22901 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | W93 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1115 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | VA19 |
| Destination City | SNOW HILL |
| Destination State | VA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| 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 | 25 |
| Runway Length | 3200 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |