Piper PA-28-180 accident near Louisa, VA
On April 30, 1995, a Piper PA-28-180 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Louisa, VA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 30, 1995
- Place
- Louisa, VA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 38.010°N, 77.990°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001207X03234
NTSB summary
On April 30, 1995, at 1159 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N20LA, collided with trees during approach to Louisa County Airport, Louisa, Virginia. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91 and originated in Leesburg, Virginia, exact time unknown. The final destination was Monticello, New York. The non-instrument rated private pilot flew from Leesburg to Louisa, Virginia, to pick up a passenger for the flight to New York. When he arrived in the vicinity of the Louisa airport, the pilot contacted Unicom and requested assistance in locating the airport. Airport personnel advised him that IMC prevailed at the airport, and that "...he should go to a VFR airport." Several witnesses observed the airplane maneuvering in the vicinity of the airport before the accident. They estimated the airplane's altitude to be about 100 to 200 feet above the ground. One witness reported that the airplane was "...just below the clouds...occasionally cutting through them... ." He stated that he observed the airplane within about 1/4 mile of the runway, but then lost visual contact. The airplane collided with trees in a wooded area about 500 yards southwest of the airport. Witnesses estimated that the ceiling was about 200 feet, with visibility less than a mile with rain and fog, at the time of the accident. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot did not receive a weat
Probable cause
the non-instrument rated private pilot's continued VFR flight into IMC and failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from terrain/obstacles. Related factors were the pilot's lack of total experience in IMC operations, his failure to obtain a preflight weather briefing, and the fog and low ceiling.
More accidents in VA
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Browse: Virginia · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
