Piper 24-260 accident near Lexington, Virginia, May 22, 1982
On May 22, 1982 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper 24-260, registered N8981P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lexington, Virginia (L.B. Gliderport airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 1982 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, Virginia · L.B. Gliderport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper 24-260
- Registration
- N8981P · no longer on the register · serial 2444
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT OVERRAN A 1500 WET, SOD, DOWNHILL RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A DITCH OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE COLLISION COLLAPSED THE LANDING GEAR, BENT THE PROP, AND BUCKLED THE FUSELAGE. THE PILOT REPORTED THE WIND WAS 180 DEGREES AT 5 TO 10 KNOTS.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,545 hours in all; 710 in this make and model; 67 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,648 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Mt. Empire VA at 12:00 pm
- Destination: Mt. Empire VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 1,500 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 005° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 169°F (76°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N8981P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.