Piper PA-32-300 accident near Meadows Of Dan, Virginia, November 23, 1988
On November 23, 1988 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N4194W, was destroyed in an accident near Meadows Of Dan, Virginia. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT CONDUCTED VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED INFLIGHT BRAKUP WHEN THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN FLIGHT WITHIN THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 1988 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Meadows Of Dan, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N4194W · registry record · serial 32-40282
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT TOLD WITNESSES THAT HE WOULD ATTEMPT TO CROSS MOUNTAINS NORTH OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WHERE HE EXPECTED TO FIND CLEAR WEATHER BEFORE HE PROCEEDED WEST TOWARD HIS DESTINATION. A WITNESS SAID THE WEATHER AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WAS ABOUT 1200 OVERCAST WITH GOOD VISIBILITY BELOW THE OVERCAST. THE PLT HAD FLOWN ABOUT 35 MILES AND WAS OVER THE BLUE RIDGE MTS, WHEN ACCORDING TO RECORDED RADAR DATA, THE ACFT BEGAN TO CHANGE COURSE ABOUT 14 TIMES, INCLUDING SEVERAL COURSE REVERSALS, DURING ABO UT A 15 MINUTE PERIOD. DURING THIS TIME THE ACFT CLIMBED FROM 2100 TO 7200 FT. A WITNESS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE SAID IT WAS RAINING, VISIBILITY 1000 FT, AND THE MOUNTAIN TOPS WERE OBSCURED BY CLOUDS WHEN HE HEARD THE ACFT AT FULL POWER AND CLIMBING SHORTLY BEFORE HE HEARD A 'MUFFLED' SOUND FOLLOWED BY SILENCE. THE ACFT EXPERIENCED AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP CONSISTING OF SEPARATED PORTIONS OF THE RIGHT WING AND RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.
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
- Flight time: 473 hours in all; 418 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,239 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ZEF Elkin NC at 5:40 pm
- Destination: RVS Tulsa OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 pm from GSO, 40 miles away
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.
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.