Piper PA-28-161 N4325V

Summary

On 13 August 1989 at about 07:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N4325V was involved in an accident near Leesburg, Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 August 1989 at 07:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Leesburg, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N4325V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Winchester → Leesburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

BFO89LA068

Nobody was injured.

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT WHICH RESULTED IN HIS INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALIGNMENT, WHILE LANDING AT NIGHT ON A ROAD. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, DARK NIGHT, AND POLE/REFLECTORS BESIDE THE ROAD WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT WAS ON A ROUND ROBIN FLT FROM LEESBURG, VA, WITH EN ROUTE STOPS AT FREDERICK, MD & WINCHESTER, VA. AFTER AN APRX 4 HR STOPOVER AT WINCHESTER, HE DID NOT UPDATE HIS WX BRIEFING BEFORE DEPG ON THE RTRN TRIP TO LEESBURG. WHILE ON THE RTRN FLT, HE HAD TO DSCND DUE TO A LOWER CEILING. HE STATED THAT HE PERFORMED A 180 DEG TURN TO RETURN TO WINCHESTER; HOWEVER, THE WX IN THAT DRCTN HAD ALSO DETERIORATED. BEING CONCERNED ABOUT THE WX & HIS LOW FUEL STATE, HE ELECTED TO REVERSE COURSE AGAIN & CONT TO HIS ORIGINAL DESTN (LEESBURG). THE WX CONTD TO DETERIORATE, SO HE THEN ELECTED TO LAND ON A HIGHWAY (ROUTE 15). DRG THE LANDING ROLL-OUT, THE LEFT WING CONTACTED ROAD REFLECTORS & A POLE, DAMAGING THE ACFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.