Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Roanoke, Virginia 24018
Friday, March 3, 1989 16:12 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE INSTRUMENT RATED PLT INITIATED VFR FLIGHT TO BLACKSBURG AFTER HE WAS INFORMED BY FSS THAT IMC EXISTED AT THE DEST. THE PLT CONTACTED ROANOKE (ROA) APCH CTRL ABOUT 15 MILES WEST OF BLACKSBURG AND 8 MILES SW OF ROA. HE REPORTED THAT HE WAS 'STUCK' IN CLOUDS AT 2,000 FT MSL AT THE SAME TIME WITNESSES IN THE AREA REPORTED AN ACFT JUST ABOVE TREETOP LEVEL IN HEAVY FOG AND BELOW AN ESTIMATED 100 TO 200 FT OVERCAST. THE PLT WAS CLEARED TO AND BEGAN CLIMBING WEST TO 5,000 FT. AS HE WAS CLIMBING HE ASKED FOR THE CURRENT WEATHER AT BLACKSBURG. ROA ADVISED THE PLT THAT THE WEATHER AT BLACKSBURG WAS NOT AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, THE PLT ASKED AND WAS CLEARED TO PROCEED TO BLACKSBURG ON A 240 DEGREE HEADING. THE ACFT WAS AT 4,600 FT WHEN IT ABRUPTLY MADE A RIGHT TURN AND DESCENDED TO THE GROUND. WITNESSES STATED THE ACFT DESCENDED FROM A LOW OVERCAST IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WITH THE ENGINE AT HIGH POWER. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT DID NOT REVEAL EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF PLT IMPAIRMENT OR INCAPACITATION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/3/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1612 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | ROANOKE |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 24018 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| 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 | 1620 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ROA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1176 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 5 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 100 |
| 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) | 985 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 3 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39148 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N27FH |
| NTSB Number | BFO89FA019 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | V35TC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | V35TC |
| Aircraft Serial Number | D-8279 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 6 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3200 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RUFFIN K HARRIS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RT 2 BOX 727 |
| Aircraft Owner City | THE PLAINS |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | RUFFIN K. HARRIS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | RT 2 BOX 727 |
| Operator City | THE PLAINS |
| Operator State | VA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 22171 |
| 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 | VA79 |
| Departure City | MIDDLEBURG |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BCB |
| Destination City | BLACKSBURG |
| Destination State | VA |
| 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 | -- |