Piper PA-32-300 accident near Lyburn, West Virginia, May 12, 1993
On May 12, 1993 at about 3:45 am local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N45087, was destroyed in an accident near Lyburn, West Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ATTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO REMAIN CLEAR OF RISING TERRAIN AND OBJECTS. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE DARKNESS AND RISING TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 1993 · about 3:45 am local time
- Place
- Lyburn, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N45087 · no longer on the register · serial 32-7940247
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AT ABOUT 2345 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A STATIC WIRE AND COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF 1,900 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. THE POWER COMPANY REPORTED THAT THE POSITION OF THE STATIC WIRE IS ABOUT 280 FEET ABOVE THE TERRAIN AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1,690 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 1.2 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. THE DEPARTED AIRPORT'S ELEVATION WAS 730 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY POST IMPACT FIRE. NO AIRFRAME OR ENGINE ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT AND PATCHES OF GROUND FOG WERE REPORTED AROUND THE AREA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT'S LOG BOOK WAS NOT RECOVERED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,178 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: 6L4 Logan County WV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 170° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 am from BKW, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.