Piper PA-31-350 accident near Lynchburg, Virginia, August 28, 1989
On August 28, 1989 at about 4:45 am local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N234J, was destroyed in an accident near Lynchburg, Virginia (Lynchburg airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 5 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM OBSTRUCTIONS BECAUSE OF IMPROPER IFR OPERATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS DESCENT BELOW DECISION HEIGHT, DELAY IN INITIATING THE MISSED APPROACH, AND FOG CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1989 · about 4:45 am local time
- Place
- Lynchburg, Virginia · Lynchburg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N234J · registry record · serial 31-7952021
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT UNSUCCESSFULLY TRIED TWICE TO LAND ON RWY 3. HE DID A VISUAL APPROACH AND THEN AN ILS APPROACH. THE PILOT AND WITNESSES REPORTED FOGGY CONDITIONS AT THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT FLEW THE ILS APPROACH AS A THIRD ATTEMPT TO LAND WHEN THE CRASH OCCURRED. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT DESENDED TO 1100 FT MSL ON THE APPROACH, ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM THE RWY. THE PUBLISHED DECISION HEIGHT WAS 1118 FEET. THE RADAR DATA INDICATED THE CFT PASSED EAST OF THE RWY THRESHOLD AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1000 FT MSL. THE NEXT AND LAST RADAR DATA SHOWS THE ACFT ABOUT 2300 FT BEYOND AND 400 FT EAST OF THE RWY. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES EAST OF THE RWY AND THEN CRASHED IN A CORNFIELD. AN EXAMINATION DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF A MALFUNCTION. THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED AND THE FLAPS WERE EXTENDED 10 DEGS.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,345 hours in all; 190 in this make and model; 93 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 1,175 as pilot in command; 350 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SBY Salisbury MD at 2:52 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 3, 5,799 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from LYH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO89FA075.