Piper PA-28-180 accident near Deerfield, Virginia, August 18, 2002
On August 18, 2002 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N5295L, was destroyed in an accident near Deerfield, Virginia (Private airport). 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 improper preflight decision to takeoff on an up-sloping runway with a tailwind, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and collision with a tree. Factors were the pilot's lack of familiarity with the geographic area, and a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2002 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Deerfield, Virginia · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N5295L · no longer on the register · serial 28-4597
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot back-taxied on runway 15 at a private airstrip. Runway 15 was 2,442 feet long, 50 feet wide, 90 feet up-sloping, and consisted of turf. Witnesses stated that the engine sounded fine during the takeoff roll, but the airplane did not accelerate and climb properly. After takeoff, the airplane pitched up sharply as it neared a tree line, stalled, and impacted a tree. Witnesses added that the pilot took off with a tailwind. Review of a performance chart for the airplane revealed that a similar takeoff would require 2,150 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle. However, the chart did not account for an up-sloping turf runway, or a tailwind. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot had never flown out of the private airstrip.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 521 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 125 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days; 471 as pilot in command; 149 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 16, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 55 hours in all
- Last flight review: August 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,857 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 12, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Deerfield VA at 7:14 pm
- Destination: SHD Stauton VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 2,442 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,800 ft; scat at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 7:02 pm from SHD, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.