Roanoke Muni. Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Roanoke, Virginia 24012
Sunday, March 27, 1983 11:54 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT WAS ON A X-COUNTRY FROM BUFFALO, NY TO NEW PORT RICHEY, FL. THE PLT MADE AN EN ROUTE STOP AT PAINSVILLE, OH, THEN PROCEEDED TOWARD GREENSBORO, NC. WHILE EN ROUTE, HE ELECTED TO LAND AT ROANOKE, VA BECAUSE HIS FUEL WOULD BE LOW IF HE CONTINUED TO GREENSBORO. AT ROANOKE, THE PLT BEGAN THE LDA APPROACH TO RWY 05. THE WEATHER WAS REPORTED, IN PART, AS: 200 FT BROKEN, 400 FT OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 2 MI WITH LIGHT RAIN & FOG. THE MINIMUMS FOR THE PRECISION APPROACH WAS 400 FT CEILING & 1 MI VISIBILITY. AT 1152:37, THE PLT HAD BEGUN A MISSED APPROACH. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, HE WAS ADVISED HE WAS FLYING TOWARD HIGH TERRAIN & WAS PROVIDED VECTORS. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE RADAR CONTROLLER NOTED THAT THE ACFT DESCENDED FROM 2800 TO 1800 FT, THEN RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. A WITNESS SAW THE ACFT MANEUVERING AT 75 TO 100 FT AGL, JUST BEFORE IT IMPACTED A TREE & A TV TRANSMISSION LINE. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE. AN ESTIMATION OF FUEL COMPUTATION INDICATED ONLY ABOUT 23 GAL WOULD BE REMAINING.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/27/1983
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1154
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City ROANOKE
Event State VIRGINIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 24012
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport ROANOKE MUNI.
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ROA
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 80
Airport Elevation 1175
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1150 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID ROA
Elevation of weather observation facility 1175
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 400
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 200
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 2
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 3
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 280
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) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Moderate
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 5
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 5
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1505
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 21799
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5885V
NTSB Number ATL83FA145
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-34-200T
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-34-200T
Aircraft Serial Number 7770267
Certified Max Gross Weight 4570
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 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Nov 1 1982 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 119
Airframe Hours 1555
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LEVESQUE AIR INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address RRL
Aircraft Owner City ASHLAND
Aircraft Owner State ME
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code
Departure City PAINESVILLE
Departure State OH
Departure Country
Departure Time 730
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code ROA
Destination City ROANOKE
Destination State VA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
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 5
Runway Length 5904
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --