Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Meadows Of Dan, Virginia 24120
Wednesday, November 23, 1988 13:10 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT TOLD WITNESSES THAT HE WOULD ATTEMPT TO CROSS MOUNTAINS NORTH OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WHERE HE EXPECTED TO FIND CLEAR WEATHER BEFORE HE PROCEEDED WEST TOWARD HIS DESTINATION. A WITNESS SAID THE WEATHER AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WAS ABOUT 1200 OVERCAST WITH GOOD VISIBILITY BELOW THE OVERCAST. THE PLT HAD FLOWN ABOUT 35 MILES AND WAS OVER THE BLUE RIDGE MTS, WHEN ACCORDING TO RECORDED RADAR DATA, THE ACFT BEGAN TO CHANGE COURSE ABOUT 14 TIMES, INCLUDING SEVERAL COURSE REVERSALS, DURING ABO UT A 15 MINUTE PERIOD. DURING THIS TIME THE ACFT CLIMBED FROM 2100 TO 7200 FT. A WITNESS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE SAID IT WAS RAINING, VISIBILITY 1000 FT, AND THE MOUNTAIN TOPS WERE OBSCURED BY CLOUDS WHEN HE HEARD THE ACFT AT FULL POWER AND CLIMBING SHORTLY BEFORE HE HEARD A 'MUFFLED' SOUND FOLLOWED BY SILENCE. THE ACFT EXPERIENCED AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP CONSISTING OF SEPARATED PORTIONS OF THE RIGHT WING AND RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT CONDUCTED VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED INFLIGHT BRAKUP WHEN THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN FLIGHT WITHIN THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/23/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1310 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | MEADOWS OF DAN |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 24120 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1252 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 160 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GSO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 926 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 40 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1600 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| 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) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 3000 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2388 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 23 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1535 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39102 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4194W |
| NTSB Number | BFO89FA012 |
| 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-32-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32-300 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-40282 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | Apr 1 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3239 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JERRY M JONES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 10218 SO. 19TH EAST AVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | BROKEN ARROW |
| Aircraft Owner State | OK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JERRY M. JONES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 10218 SO. 19TH EAST AVE |
| Operator City | BROKEN ARROW |
| Operator State | OK |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 74014 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ZEF |
| Departure City | ELKIN |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1240 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | RVS |
| Destination City | TULSA |
| Destination State | OK |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| 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 | -- |