Rockwell 114 accident near Anawalt, West Virginia, May 30, 1990
On May 30, 1990 at about 2:53 am local time, a Rockwell 114, registered N5803N, was destroyed in an accident near Anawalt, West Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE AND CLEARANCE ABOVE THE TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, AND LOW CEILING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 1990 · about 2:53 am local time
- Place
- Anawalt, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 114
- Registration
- N5803N · no longer on the register · serial 14371
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A VFR FLT FROM MYRTLE BEACH, SC, TO WELCH, WV, THE PLT LANDED AT BLUEFIELD, WV, WHERE HE REFUELED & OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING. AT 2241 EDT, THE HE TOOK OFF ON THE LAST LEG OF THE FLT. ABOUT 12 MI WNW OF BLUEFIELD, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH STEEP RISING TERRAIN ABOUT 100 FT BELOW THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN. IMPACT OCCURRED AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 2800 FT & APRX 4 MI LEFT OF A DIRECT LINE BETWEEN BLUEFIELD & WELCH. THE 2249 EDT WX AT BLUEFIELD WAS IN PART: LOW SCT CLOUDS, 1200 FT OVC, VIS 7 MI, WIND FROM 250 DEG AT 4 KTS. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 378 hours in all; 346 in this make and model; 301 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,572 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 23, 1989; 94 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,140 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-T4B5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BLF Bluefield WV at 2:41 am
- Destination: I25 Welch WV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft; scat
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 2:49 am from BLF, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.