West Point Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

West Point, Virginia 23181
Friday, January 4, 1985 18:52 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AFTER BEING DELAYED AT LEAST 2 DAYS AT YOUNGSTOWN, OH, DUE TO MAINTENANCE PROBLEMS THE PLT DEPARTED AT APRX 1725 HRS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE WX AT HIS DESTINATION WAS IFT TO LIFR. IN ADDITION, THE PLT WAS SCHEDULED FOR A VACATION AND HAD EXPRESSED HOPES OF DEPARTING ON IT THAT EVENING. THE ACFT WAS SEEN CIRCLING WEST POINT MUNICIPAL ARPT IN AND OUT OF LOW CLOUDS, FOG, AND/OR SMOKE FROM A NEARBY MILL. IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES 6.5 MILES WEST OF THE ARPT, A WITNESS SAW RED LIGHTS, ONE ON THE REAR AND ONE CLOSE TO THE FRONT OF THE ACFT, WHICH WAS ESTIMATED TO BE FLYING AT APRX TREE TOP LEVEL.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/4/1985
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1852
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City WEST POINT
Event State VIRGINIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 23181
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport WEST POINT MUNI
Event Location Nearest Airport ID W97
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 65
Degrees magnetic from airport 282
Airport Elevation 24
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1850 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 277
Weather Observation Facility ID RIC
Elevation of weather observation facility 168
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 22
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
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) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -1
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) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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) 1279
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 4 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2010
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 28638
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:14AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N275MA
NTSB Number BFO85FA011
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 MITSUBISHI
Aircraft Model MU-2B-25
Aircraft Series Identifier MU-2B-25
Aircraft Serial Number 255
Certified Max Gross Weight 9920
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 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jan 4 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 14
Airframe Hours 45804
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHESAPEAKE CORP.
Aircraft Owner Street Address BOX 311
Aircraft Owner City WEST POINT
Aircraft Owner State VA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 23181
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) Ferry
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code YNG
Departure City YOUNGSTOWN
Departure State OH
Departure Country
Departure Time 1725
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code W97
Destination City WEST POINT
Destination State VA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 20 2002 12:42PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 27
Runway Length 3700
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --