Piper PA-28-140 accident near Syria, VA
On September 7, 2007, a Piper PA-28-140 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Syria, VA. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 7, 2007
- Place
- Syria, VA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 38.470°N, 78.399°W
- NTSB ID
- 20070917X01406
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 6, 2007, about 2033 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N6493W, was destroyed when it impacted trees about 4 nautical miles west of Syria, Virginia. The certificated private pilot and two passengers were killed. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan had been air filed for the flight, which departed Hartsville Regional Airport (HVS), Hartsville, South Carolina, destined for Winchester Regional Airport (OKV), Winchester, Virginia. The personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight originated at Brunswick Golden Isles Airport (BQK) Brunswick, Georgia, at 1500. It then proceeded to Sumter Airport (SMS), Sumter, South Carolina, and then HVS. After departing from HVS, the airplane climbed to 5,500 feet mean sea level (msl) while in the vicinity of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the pilot "air-filed" a visual flight rules flight plan with OKV as the destination. The flight continued uneventfully on a direct course to OKV until shortly after the pilot contacted Potomac Approach and began to descend to 3,500 feet msl. The airplane then turned off the established course to the east. When queried by the approach controller, the pilot responded that he was heading 045 degrees. When asked to say his heading a second time, he responded that he was on a 107-degree heading, but should be on a 025-degree heading and he was making a left turn back "towards my course." He then was told to proce
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his failure to maintain aircraft control. Contributing to the accident was the dark night conditions.
More accidents in VA
- Boeing 757-200, Sep 11, 2001
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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.
