Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Manassas Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Manassas, Virginia 20110
Monday, March 19, 2001 19:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was on a visual approach to the runway 38 minutes after official sunset, with no moon. The airplane approached the airport over rural, heavily wooded terrain that produced low levels of ambient light. Examination of radar data revealed the airplane approached the airport at 120 knots groundspeed, but descended at 1,200 feet per minute. The airplane struck trees and crashed less than 1/2 mile from the approach end of the runway. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the instrument lighting rheostat was in the full bright position, and that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. The pilot recorded two takeoffs and landings at night about 1 year prior to the accident. Previous to that, the pilot had not flown at night for 7 years. Examination of the environmental conditions at the time of the accident revealed that they were conducive to a "black hole approach", a night visual illusion that results in low approaches, and landings prior to the runway.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's spatial disorientation due to a night visual illusion. A factor was the dark night condition.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/19/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1900 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Manassas |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 20110 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 384249N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0773027W |
| Event Location Airport | Manassas Regional Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HEF |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 160 |
| Airport Elevation | 192 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1855 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 160 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HEF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 192 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.4 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -1248 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 13351 |
| NTSB Notification Source | EROPS |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 20 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 13 2003 12:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FSDO #27 Washington, DC 20041 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2380U |
| NTSB Number | IAD01FA038 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-RT201 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7918252 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2750 |
| 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 | Nov 6 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 3429 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Thomas W. Reilly |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Annandale |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 22003 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | 2W6 |
| Departure City | Leonardtown |
| Departure State | MD |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1815 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | HEF |
| Destination City | Manassas |
| Destination State | VA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - final approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 15 2002 3:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34R |
| Runway Length | 5700 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |