Piper PA-28R-180 accident near Richland, Virginia, August 28, 1990
On August 28, 1990 at about 6:03 am local time, a Piper PA-28R-180, registered N885MA, was destroyed in an accident near Richland, Virginia (Richlands Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER CLEARANCE FROM HIGH TERRAIN. DARKNESS AND THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE RELATED FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1990 · about 6:03 am local time
- Place
- Richland, Virginia · Richlands Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-180 · all PA-28R-180s on the register
- Registration
- N885MA · no longer on the register · serial 28R-30234
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT WAS ON A NIGHT, VFR, RETURN FLIGHT, WHEN THE AIRPLANE STRUCK HIGH TERRAIN ABOUT 1.5 MILE FROM THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AND ABOUT 500 FEET ABOVE THE AIRPORT ELEVATION. A WITNESS, WHO SAW THE FLIGHT DEPART THE AIRPORT VFR ABOUT THREE HOURS EARLIER, REPORTED THE WEATHER AT THE AIRPORT WAS FOGGY WITH ZERO VISIBILITY AT ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE SAME WITNESS STATED THE FOG BEGAN TO OCCUR AT THE AIRPORT ABOUT 45 MINUTES AFTER THE EARLIER DEPARTURE. THE WITNESS ALSO REPORTED THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE ON, BUT THE AIRPORT ROTATING BEACON WAS NOT OPERATING. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS TO THE AIRPORT. HE REQUESTED AND WAS GIVEN CONFIRMATION FROM THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER THAT HE WAS OVER THE AIRPORT. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. ABOUT 25 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST AT BLUEFIELD, WV, THE WEATHER WAS IN PART: 100' OBSCURATION, VISIBILITY 1/16 MILE WITH FOG, WIND CALM
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: 126 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 71 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,608 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 1989; 180 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Marx Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: HKY Hickory NC
- Destination: 7A4 Richlands VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 am from BLF, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.