Piper PA-32-260 accident near Dungannon, Virginia, February 24, 1990
On February 24, 1990 at about 2:34 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N3484W, was destroyed in an accident near Dungannon, Virginia. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT BECOMING LOST/DISORIENTED, THE SUBSEQUENT LOW FUEL SUPPLY, AND THE AIRCRAFT'S EXCESSIVE AFT CENTER-OF-GRAVITY (CG).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 1990 · about 2:34 pm local time
- Place
- Dungannon, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N3484W · no longer on the register · serial 32-362
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE VFR PLT DEPARTED TULSA, OK, ON A FLT TO BRISTOL, TN, WITH A FULL LOAD OF FUEL. NO EN ROUTE STOPS WERE MADE. IN THE AREA OF BRISTOL, THE PLT CTCD TRI-CITY APCH CTL & REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO THE TRI-CITY ARPT. HOWEVER, THE ACFT'S ALT WAS LOW & RADAR CTC WITH APCH CTL WAS NOT MADE. THE PLT BELIEVED HE WAS SW OF THE ARPT, BUT ATLANTA ARTCC NOTED THE ACFT WAS 40 MI NW OF TRI-CITY. THE PLT WAS ADZD OF HIS PSN, BUT HE CONTD ON AN EASTERLY HDG. THE PSGRS NOTED TURBC, SNW SHOWERS & REDUCED VIS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT ELECTED TO LND ON A STREET IN DUNGANNON, VA. SVRL WITNESSES NOTED AN INTERRUPTION OF ENG PWR BEFORE THE ACFT WAS LNDD. RPRTDLY, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN HARD, THEN BOUNCED & WENT TO THE LEFT OF THE STREET, HITTING THE PORCH OF A HOUSE. THOUGH AN INTERRUPTION OF ENG PWR WAS RPRTD, THE PROP BLADES HAD EVIDENCE OF ROTATIONAL DMG. THE FUEL SEL WAS FND PSND TO THE RGT OTBRD TANK; THE 2 RGT TANKS HAD ABT 1 QT OF FUEL REMAINING. CG OF THE ACFT WAS CALCULATED TO BE BEHIND THE AFT LIMIT.
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: 393 hours in all; 280 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 334 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,585 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 29, 1989; 151 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-4EB5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RVS Tulsa OK at 10:00 am
- Destination: TRI Bristol TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 22 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 pm from TRI, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 1 |
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.