Hanover County Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Ashland, Virginia 22404
Friday, June 9, 1989 15:35 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WITNESSES RPRTD THE ACFT WAS HIGH & FAST ON FINAL APCH, THEN IT LEVELED OFF ABOUT 15 FT ABOVE THE RWY. AFTER TRAVELING A SHORT DISTANCE, THE ACFT BEGAN CLIMBING AS IF THE PLT WAS MAKING A GO-AROUND & IT ENTERED A LEFT TURN OVR TREES BESIDETHE RWY. WITNESSES SAID THEY DID NOT HEAR ANY CHANGE IN ENG RPM WHEN THE ACFT BEGAN THE CLIMBING TURN. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT DSCNDD, HIT TWO TREES (ON AN EASTERLY HDG) & CAME TO REST APRX 225 YDS NORTHEAST OF RWY 16. THE 1ST TREE WAS STRUCK BY THE ACFT'S RGT WING, 28 FT AGL & ABOUT 35 YDS FROM WHERE THE MAIN WRECKAGE CAME TO REST. RPRTDLY, THE ACFT WAS TURNING LEFT WHEN IT IMPACTED THE 1ST TREE. PROPELLER SLASH MARKS WERE FOUND AT THE BASE OF THE 2ND TREE, ABOUT 4 YDS FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE; THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE CURLED BY IMPACT DAMAGE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR ENG WAS FOUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

IMPROPER GO-AROUND BY THE PILOT BY NOT MAINTAINING A CLIMB AND OBTAINING PROPER ALTITUDE BEFORE TURNING. THE PILOT'S POOR APPROACH AND THE TREES WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/9/1989
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1535
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City ASHLAND
Event State VIRGINIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 22404
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport HANOVER COUNTY MUNI
Event Location Nearest Airport ID W83
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 205
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1550 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID W83
Elevation of weather observation facility 205
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 2900
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) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 210
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 15
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1005
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 9 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1645
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39167
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:46PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N33320
NTSB Number MIA89FA172
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-180
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-180
Aircraft Serial Number 28-7505132
Certified Max Gross Weight 2450
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 Jul 8 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 131
Airframe Hours 2365
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name A & S FLYING INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 114 MILL AVE
Aircraft Owner City LEBANON
Aircraft Owner State VA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 24266
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name A & S FLYING SERVICES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 114 MILL RD.
Operator City LEBANON
Operator State VA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 24266
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 6A8
Departure City LEBANON
Departure State VA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1320
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code W83
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
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 16
Runway Length 4650
Runway Width 80
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --