Piper PA-32R-301 accident near Dayton, VA
On January 11, 2023, a Piper PA-32R-301 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Dayton, VA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 11, 2023
- Place
- Dayton, VA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-301 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 38.528°N, 79.132°W
- NTSB ID
- 20230112106565
Official records · ERA23FA108
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- ATC - Attachment 1 - ATC Audio Recording: Audio recording (WAV), on ntsb.gov
- ATC - Group Chairman's Factual Report: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- ATC - Attachment 2 - Ads-B Data: Document (CSV), on ntsb.gov
- ATC - Attachment 3 - FAA Aircraft Accident Package: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- ATC - Attachment 5 - Facility-Event Logs And Records: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn January 11, 2023, about 1809 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32R-301 airplane, N43156, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Dayton, Virginia. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to radar and radio communication information obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot departed from Winchester Regional Airport (OKV), Winchester, Virginia, at 1739. The airplane then turned toward the southwest and established a flight track that roughly corresponded to a direct course between OKV and Shelby County Airport (EET), Alabaster, Alabama. At 1741, the pilot contacted Potomac Consolidated Terminal Radar Approach Control and advised that he had departed OKV to the southwest, was climbing through 3,500 ft mean sea level (msl) for 6,500 ft, and requested and received visual flight rules (VFR) flight following services enroute to EET. About 1749, the pilot checked in with the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center while flying level at 6,500 ft. At 1802, the pilot advised the controller that he was going to descend to 5,500 ft for a few minutes. The controller acknowledged and instructed the pilot to maintain VFR, which the pilot acknowledged. No further transmissions were received from the pilot. ADS-B data showed that, about 1809, the airplane turned about 20° to the left from its previously established flight track to about 200° magnetic, as it continued to descend (see figure 1). The airplane’s last ADS-B-observed position
Probable cause
The pilot’s controlled flight into terrain while descending over mountainous terrain at night.
More accidents in VA
- Boeing 757-200, Sep 11, 2001
- Beech B99, Sep 23, 1985
- Beech 65, Sep 10, 1995
- Beech 200, Oct 24, 2004
- Piper PA-31-310, Nov 14, 1982
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.
