Piper PA-32RT-300 N36791

Summary

On 12 January 1984 at about 00:25 local time, a Piper PA-32RT-300 registered N36791, operated by Flight America, Inc., was involved in an accident near Basye, Virginia, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

12 January 1984 at 00:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Basye, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Sky Bryce (W92)

Coordinates

38.8304, -78.7992

Aircraft

Piper PA-32RT-300

Registration

N36791

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Flight America, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Charlottesville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Bright

NTSB number

ATL84FA080

4 people were seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER THE ACFT LANDED, SLUSH WAS OBSERVED TO HAVE ACCUMULATED UNDER THE WINGS & LOWER AFT FUSELAGE & WAS FREEZING. THE ACFT WAS PARKED WITH THE TAIL FACING THE SUN, BUT NONE OF THE ARPT PERSONNEL NOTICED WHETHER THE SUN HAD MELTED THE ICE. THE PLT INDICATED HE WOULD RETURN BY 1630, BUT WHEN THE ARPT MANAGER WAS PREPARING TO LEAVE AT 1715, THE PLT HAD NOT YET RETURNED. ICE REFROZE ON THE RWY. THE ARPT MANAGER NOTIFIED THE FSS & LEFT A MESSAGE ON THE PHONE ANSWERING MACHINE THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED. ALSO, TO DISCOURAGE OPERATION ON THE ICY RWY, HE DID NOT TURN ON THE RWY LIGHTS. THE PLT RETURNED AT 1900 & ELECTED TO MAKE A NIGHT DEPARTURE. HE REPORTED THAT DURING TAKEOFF, THE ACFT LIFTED OFF, BUT WOULD NOT CONTINUE CLIMBING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES & THE ROOF OF A BUILDING, THEN CRASHED& BURNED. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM. ANOTHER PLT NOTED A LAYER OF FROST ON THE LEADING EDGE OF HIS ACFT'S WINGS & ELECTED NOT TO FLY. HE BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS FROST ON N36791.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.