Piper PA-25-235 N9489P
20 May 1989 · Warrenton, Virginia, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 20 May 1989 at about 16:39 local time, a Piper PA-25-235 registered N9489P was involved in an accident near Warrenton, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:39
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Warrenton, Virginia, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235
- Registration
- N9489P
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- BFO89LA035
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE FAILURE OF THE GLIDER PILOT TO MAINTAIN A PROPER CLIMB RATE DURING TAKEOFF AND THE DELAY IN RELEASING FROM THE TOWPLANE AFTER REALIZING THAT HE WAS CLIMBING WELL ABOVE THE TOWPLANE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE UPDRAFT ENCOUNTERED AFTER TAKEOFF AND THE LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE OF THE GLIDER PILOT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PIPER WAS TOWING A GLIDER, A SCHWEIZER SGS 2-33. DURING CLIMB ABOUT 200 FT AGL WHEN, ACCORDING TO THE TOWPLANE PLT, HIS ACFT ABRUPTLY PITCHED DOWN. THE TOWPLANE DESCENDED AND THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER IN TIME TO AVOID THE ACFT FROM STRIKING THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO THE GLIDER PLT, DURING THE TAKEOFF CLIMB HE ENCOUNTERED AN UPDRAFT WHICH CAUSED THE GLIDER TO ACCELERATE AND CLIMB DESPITE CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE GLIDER PLT STATED THAT WHEN HE RELEASED THE TOWROPE HE HEARD A POP SOUND AND THEN THE GLIDER PITCHED UP. THE GLIDER PILOT STATED THE AIRSPEED REACHED 105 MPH AND THE GLIDER PITCHED UP TO ABOUT 50 TO 60 DEGREES. THE GLIDER REACHED ABOUT 650 AGL BEFORE IT SLOWED TO 50 MPH AFTER WHICH HE RETURNED TO LAND. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE GLIDER PILOT HAD 17 HRS TOTAL TIME IN GLIDERS; HOWEVER, UNTIL THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT HE HAD NOT FLOWN GLIDERS FOR ABOUT 2 YRS. THIS WAS HIS THIRD FLIGHT OF THE DAY AND THE FIRST ONE WITHOUT AN INSTRUCTOR ABOARD.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-25 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Sep 1989 | Piper PA-25-235 | Warner Springs, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jun 1989 | Piper PA-25-235 | Preston, Maryland, United States | Air AG, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 1989 | Piper PA-25-235 | Auxvasse, Missouri, United States | Rufener, James E | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Jul 1989 | Piper PA-25-235 | Goodway, Alabama, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 1989 | Piper PA-25 | Wh Sulphur Spgs, Montana, United States | Morgan, Boyd J. | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jan 1989 | Piper PA-25-235 | Bogalusa, Louisiana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
All 1,925 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 1989 | Piper PA-28-180 | Ashland, Virginia, United States | A & S Flying Services | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Mar 1989 | Halstead SANDPIPER | Chesapeake, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 1989 | Rotorway EXEC | Palmyra, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Mar 1989 | Beechcraft V35TC | Roanoke, Virginia, United States | Ruffin K. Harris | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Mar 1989 | Beechcraft A60 | Manassas, Virginia, United States | RTS Service Inc. | Fatal | 5 |
| 24 Mar 1989 | Learjet 25 | Roanoke, Virginia, United States | Flight International, Inc. | No injuries | - |