Piper PA-34-220T accident near Beckley, West Virginia, January 18, 1984
On January 18, 1984 at about 2:58 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-220T, registered N8461H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Beckley, West Virginia (Raleigh County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- January 18, 1984 · about 2:58 pm local time
- Place
- Beckley, West Virginia · Raleigh County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-220T · all PA-34-220Ts on the register
- Registration
- N8461H · registry record
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE ACFT TRAVELED ABOUT 2400 FT BEFORE STARTING A DRIFT TO THE LEFT. IT COVERED ANOTHER 425 FT PRIOR TO COLLIDING WITH A SNOW BANK SHEARING OFF THE NOSE GEAR & COLLAPSING BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE RWY WAS COVERED WITH ABOUT 4 INCHES OF WET SNOW.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 752 hours in all; 257 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 605 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 29, 1983; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSOP-360-KB1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: JHW Jamestown NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:12 pm from BKW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.