Piper PA-28-180 accident near Clendenin, West Virginia, August 21, 1989
On August 21, 1989 at about 3:33 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N7597W, was destroyed in an accident near Clendenin, West Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION BY THE PILOT WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S DELAY IN DIVERTING TO AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT, AND THE LIGHT POLE WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 1989 · about 3:33 pm local time
- Place
- Clendenin, West Virginia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7597W · no longer on the register · serial 28-1551
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
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: 774 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 640 as pilot in command; 377 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,242 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1989; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W42 Fallston MD at 11:30 am
- Destination: I89 Fayetteville WV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,300 ft; scat at 800 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:12 pm from CRW, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.