Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Shenandoah Valley Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Staunton, Virginia 24401
Friday, December 15, 1989 19:33 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING THE TAKEOFF GND ROLL AT NGT, THE PLTS NOTED THE ACFT SEEMED TO BE DRIFTING TO THE LEFT OF THE RWY. THE CAPT RPRTDTHAT THE ACFT WOULD NOT RESPOND TO CONTROL INPUTS, SO (AT APRX 90 KTS) HE ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKOFF. THE ACFT WENT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY INTO DEEP SNOW. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT CAME TO REST PARTIALLY DOWN THE SIDE OF A STEEP BANK. TIRETRACKS ON COMPACTED SNOW ON THE RWY INDICATED THE ACFT WAS MISALIGNED WITH THE RWY HEADING DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. THE RWY HAD BEEN PLOWED TO THE WIDTH OF THE PAVED SURFACE, BUT SNOW BANKS OF APRX 18 INCHES WERE LEFT BETWEEN THE RWY & RWY LIGHTS. ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY AT THE APCH END, ONE LIGHT WAS TOTALLY COVERED WITH SNOW, AS WERE TWO LIGHTS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY. MORE LIGHTS ON THE RIGHT SIDE WERE PARTIALLY COVERED WITH SNOW. THE CAPT STATED HE USED THE RWY LIGHTS TO ALIGN THE ACFT WITH THE RWY, BECAUSE THE CENTERLINE WAS NOT VISIBLE DUE TO BLOWING SNOW & SNOW ON THE RWY.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY ALIGN THE AIRPLANE WITH THE RUNWAY HEADING DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: AIRPORT PERSONNEL'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT RUNWAY MARKING AND EDGE LIGHTS WERE ADEQUATELY CLEARED OF SNOW, ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL (NIGHT/WEATHER/TERRAIN/RUNWAY) CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF VISUAL PERCEPTION.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/15/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1933 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | STAUNTON |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 24401 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | SHENANDOAH VALLEY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SHD |
| 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 | 1201 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1930 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SHD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1201 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Obscured |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| 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 | Light |
| 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 | 20 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1879 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 15 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2045 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40967 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2001 8:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N851JS |
| NTSB Number | BFO90FA012 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BRITISH AEROSPACE |
| Aircraft Model | BAE 3101 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | BAE 3101 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 834 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 15212 |
| 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 | 21 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 21 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 86 |
| Airframe Hours | 2271 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | US AIR LEASING & SERVICES INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2345 CRYSTAL DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | ARLINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 22227 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 6520 POE AVE |
| Operator City | DAYTON |
| Operator State | OH |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 45414 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BWI |
| Destination City | BALTIMORE |
| Destination State | MD |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2001 8:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 23 |
| Runway Length | 6000 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |