Cessna 190 accident near Hedgesville, West Virginia, August 17, 1987
On August 17, 1987 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Cessna 190, registered N9827A, was destroyed in an accident near Hedgesville, West Virginia (Flying D airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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
- August 17, 1987 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hedgesville, West Virginia · Flying D · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 190 · all 190s on the register
- Registration
- N9827A · no longer on the register · serial 7506
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THERE WERE NO EYEWITNESSES TO THE ACDNT, BUT 3 PERSONS HEARD THE ENG REV UP TO A HIGH POWER SETTING BEFORE THE PLANE CRASHED. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA NORTH OF THE PLT'S 2600' PVT STRIP. THERE WAS A WOODED HILL NORTH OF THE STRIP. THE PLT'S WIFE SAID HE ALWAYS LANDED TO THE NORTH & TOOK OFF TO THE SOUTH. MULTIPLE PROPELLER SLASH MARKS WERE FOUND ON A TREE LIMB THAT WERE 2 TO 8 INCHES DEEP & 18 TO 24 INCHES APART. AFTER HITTING TREES, THE ACFT CAME TO REST IN AN INVERTED PSN WITH THE CABIN CRUSHED. THE WING FLAPS WERE FND RETRACTED & THE TRIM WAS SET FOR TAKEOFF. THE THROTTLE WAS FULL FWD, THE PROP CONTROL WAS SET FOR MAX RPM, & THE MIXTURE WAS AT FULL RICH. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND. WT & BALANCE COMPUTATIONS SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT'S FORWARD CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMITATION WAS EXCEEDED BY 1.4'. IN REFERENCE TO BALKED LANDING PROCEDURES, THE ACFT MANUAL STATED THAT IT WAS INADVISABLE TO BRING THE FLAPS UP UNTIL A SAFE ALTITUDE AND AN AIRSPEED OF 90 MPH WAS GAINED.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,184 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,661 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1986; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W-670-23 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,600 ft by 65 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from MRB, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.