British Aerospace BAE 3101 accident near Staunton, Virginia, December 16, 1989
On December 16, 1989, a British Aerospace BAE 3101, registered N851JS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Staunton, Virginia (Shenandoah Valley airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 20 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 PILOT'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY ALIGN THE AIRPLANE WITH THE RUNWAY HEADING DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: AIRPORT PERSONNEL'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT RUNWAY MARKING AND EDGE LIGHTS WERE ADEQUATELY CLEARED OF SNOW, ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL (NIGHT/WEATHER/TERRAIN/RUNWAY) CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF VISUAL PERCEPTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 16, 1989
- Place
- Staunton, Virginia · Shenandoah Valley
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 20 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- British Aerospace BAE 3101
- Registration
- N851JS · registry record · serial 834
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,750 hours in all; 2,875 in this make and model; 220 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 6,412 as pilot in command; 2,872 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,271 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 21, 1989; 86 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,212 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE 331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: BWI Baltimore MD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Sky: not recorded at 500 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 18 |
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.