Piper PA-24-250 accident near Lexington, Virginia, August 30, 2000
On August 30, 2000 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N6411P, was destroyed in an accident near Lexington, Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's attempted VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions that resulted in spatial disorientation. A factor in this accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2000 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6411P · no longer on the register · serial 24-1521
- 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 conducting a cross county flight from New York to Florida. Radar data revealed the airplane was traveling southwest and was level at 8,700 feet, when it made a right turn at 1727:42. The airplane continued to the right and at 1727:47, the airplane's altitude indicated 8,500 feet. The airplane descended to 8,300 feet at 1727:51, and 5,300 feet at 1728:05. There were no further radar returns observed from the airplane. Witnesses reported observing the airplane break-up in-flight, before the main wreckage impacted a sidewalk. All major portions of the airplane were located with-in 1/4 to 1/2 miles of the main wreckage. Weather information obtained for the flight indicated an area of instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions in the immediate vicinity of the accident site. A larger area of marginal visual meteorological conditions surrounded the IFR area. There was no record that the pilot had received a pre-flight weather briefing prior to the flight. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was performed 13 months prior to the accident. The pilot's estimate total flight experience was about 400 hours. He pilot had logged 2 hours of 'actual' and 36 hours of 'simulated' instrument flight experience; all of which had been logged about 10 years prior to the accident.
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: 400 hours in all; 270 in this make and model; 300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 21, 1999; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRB Martinsburg WV
- Destination: CAE Columbia SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 165°F (74°C), dew point 158°F (70°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:46 pm from LYH, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.