Piper PA-32-260 N3484W

Summary

On 24 February 1990 at about 14:34 local time, a Piper PA-32-260 registered N3484W was involved in an accident near Dungannon, Virginia, United States. 4 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 February 1990 at 14:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Dungannon, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

36.8198, -82.4600

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-260

Registration

N3484W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tulsa → Bristol

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO90LA030

3 people were seriously injured.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT BECOMING LOST/DISORIENTED, THE SUBSEQUENT LOW FUEL SUPPLY, AND THE AIRCRAFT'S EXCESSIVE AFT CENTER-OF-GRAVITY (CG).

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE VFR PLT DEPARTED TULSA, OK, ON A FLT TO BRISTOL, TN, WITH A FULL LOAD OF FUEL. NO EN ROUTE STOPS WERE MADE. IN THE AREA OF BRISTOL, THE PLT CTCD TRI-CITY APCH CTL & REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO THE TRI-CITY ARPT. HOWEVER, THE ACFT'S ALT WAS LOW & RADAR CTC WITH APCH CTL WAS NOT MADE. THE PLT BELIEVED HE WAS SW OF THE ARPT, BUT ATLANTA ARTCC NOTED THE ACFT WAS 40 MI NW OF TRI-CITY. THE PLT WAS ADZD OF HIS PSN, BUT HE CONTD ON AN EASTERLY HDG. THE PSGRS NOTED TURBC, SNW SHOWERS & REDUCED VIS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT ELECTED TO LND ON A STREET IN DUNGANNON, VA. SVRL WITNESSES NOTED AN INTERRUPTION OF ENG PWR BEFORE THE ACFT WAS LNDD. RPRTDLY, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN HARD, THEN BOUNCED & WENT TO THE LEFT OF THE STREET, HITTING THE PORCH OF A HOUSE. THOUGH AN INTERRUPTION OF ENG PWR WAS RPRTD, THE PROP BLADES HAD EVIDENCE OF ROTATIONAL DMG. THE FUEL SEL WAS FND PSND TO THE RGT OTBRD TANK; THE 2 RGT TANKS HAD ABT 1 QT OF FUEL REMAINING. CG OF THE ACFT WAS CALCULATED TO BE BEHIND THE AFT LIMIT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.