Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Virginia Tech Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Blacksburg, Virginia 24060
Saturday, July 22, 1989 14:50 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT NOTED THAT DURING ARRIVAL, THE WIND SOCK WAS LIMP. HE TRIED TO CONTACT UNICOM, BUT THERE WAS NO ANSWER, SO HE ELECTED TO LAND ON RWY 30. HE STATED THAT DURING THE LANDING, THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN & 'FLIPPED OVER ON ROLLOUT.' AN INV REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED ON THE RWY, THEN SKIDDED OFF THE LEFT SIDE AT AN ANGLE. PIECES OF THE LEFT WING WERE REMAINING ON THE RWY. THE PLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED (71 FT LEFT OF THE RWY) AFTER SKIDDING SVRL HUNDREDFT. ITS LEFT WING HAD SEPD NEAR THE WING ROOT & THE RGT WING WAS EXTENSIVELY DMGD. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT THE PLANE 'SEEMED TO TOUCH THE GROUND NOSE FIRST AND FALL APART.' ANOTHER WITNESS STATED THAT 'BEFORE HITTING THE RUNWAY, IT LOOKED AS THOUGH THE PLANE TILTED SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT AND THE NOSE BEGAN TO RISE. WHEN THE PLANE HIT THE RUNWAY, IT TILTED TO THE RIGHT BREAKING THE WING OFF.' THE PLT BELIEVED HE HAD ENCTRD UNFAVORABLE WIND; AFTER THE ACDNT, HE ESTD THE WIND WAS FM 060 DEG A 5 KTS. APRX 23 MI SOUTH AT ROANOKE, THE WIND WAS CALM.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE LANDING FLARE/TOUCHDOWN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: ADVERSE WIND CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE WIND.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/22/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1450 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | BLACKSBURG |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 24060 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | VIRGINIA TECH |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BCB |
| 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 | 2134 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1454 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 75 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ROA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1175 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 23 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| 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) | 4600 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1123 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 24 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 800 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39275 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:50PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N69WP |
| NTSB Number | BFO89LA061 |
| 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 | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32R-300 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R7780420 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 21 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2300 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JOHN EDWARD MOENMICH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5412 AQUA STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | COLUMBUS |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 43229 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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 | OSU |
| Departure City | COLUMBUS |
| Departure State | OH |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | BCB |
| 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 | 4200 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |