Woodbridge Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Woodbridge, Virginia 22100
Monday, August 12, 1985 22:06 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT DEPARTED SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY, EN ROUTE TO MANASSAS, VA. WX WAS VFR AND AS THE ACFT APPROACHED GAITHERSBURG, MD, AT 2132 LCL THE PLT CONTACTED DULLES APCH FOR VECTORS THROUGH THE AREA TO MANASSAS. THE ACFT WAS ISSUED A HEADING TO MANASSAS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE PLT REPORTED HAVING MANASSAS IN SIGHT. THE THE PLT THEN MADE A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 01 AT WOODBRIDGE APRT. ALTHOUGH A WITNESS REPORTED HEARING THE PLT MAKE RADIO CALLS THAT HE WAS ENTERING THE PATTERNAT MANASSAS, HE REPORTED NEVER SEEING AN ACFT IN THE MANASSAS TRAFFIC PATTERN. ACCORDING TO THE SURVIVING PASSENGER, THEPLT HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE RWY LIGHTS TO ACTIVATE AT THE ARPT (WOODBRIDGE) AND A GO-AROUND WAS ATTEMPTED. HE NEXT RECALLED SEEING TREES AND THE ACFT IMPACTING THE TREES. THE ACFT CONTACTED THE TERRAIN IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE APRX 375 FT NORTH OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RWY 01 AT WOODBRIDGE ARPT. WOODBRIDGE HAS LOW INTENSITY RWY LIGHTS WHICH ARE ON FROM DUSK TO 0400Z. MANASSAS HAD RADIO OPERATED MEDIUM INTENSITY RWY LIGHTS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/12/1985
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 2206
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City WOODBRIDGE
Event State VIRGINIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 22100
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport WOODBRIDGE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID W22
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 360
Airport Elevation 276
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2200 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 360
Weather Observation Facility ID IAD
Elevation of weather observation facility 200
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 10
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
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) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2979
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 12 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1045
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 32422
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8242R
NTSB Number BFO85FA067
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed Unknown
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BELLANCA
Aircraft Model 17-31A
Aircraft Series Identifier 17-31A
Aircraft Serial Number 32.87
Certified Max Gross Weight 3325
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 Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 6 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 5
Airframe Hours 1761
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AIRWAYS TRANSPORTATION, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4057 CHAIN BRIDGE ROAD
Aircraft Owner City FAIRFAX
Aircraft Owner State VA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 22030
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name H. E. JOHNSON
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2509 UNIVERSITY BLVD, E.
Operator City ADELPHI
Operator State MD
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 20783
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 5B2
Departure City SARATOGA SPRGS
Departure State NY
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code W10
Destination City MANASSAS
Destination State VA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 1
Runway Length 2250
Runway Width 45
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --