Cessna 320C accident near Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, August 16, 1994
On August 16, 1994 at about 9:27 pm local time, a Cessna 320C, registered N85WM, was destroyed in an accident near Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall/spin and his lack of qualification to conduct flight in type aircraft. A factor is the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 1994 · about 9:27 pm local time
- Place
- Waynesboro, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 320C · all 320Cs on the register
- Registration
- N85WM · registry record · serial 0013
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS CRUISING AT 6000 FEET, WHEN THE PILOT REPORTED THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER. ATC VECTORED HIM TO AN AIRPORT FOR AN ILS APPROACH. THE WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS: 1500 BROKEN, 2000 OVERCAST, 1 1/2 MILES WITH LIGHT RAIN, WITH LIGHT WINDS. WHILE ON VECTORS, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAD BEEN RESTARTED, BUT WAS 'NOT RUNNING WELL.' THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE COULD NOT 'TUNE IN' THE ILS. AN FAA FACILITY CHECK AIRPLANE RATED THE ILS AS SATISFACTORY. THE PILOT NEVER INTERCEPTED THE ILS, AND THE AIRPLANE ALTITUDE VARIED BETWEEN 2600 AND 3900 FEET. WITNESSES HEARD AN ENGINE 'SPUTTERING,' AND OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE 'FLYING ERRATICALLY, IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS...CIRCLING AND TURNING...CLIMBING INTO THE CLOUDS AT A STEEP ANGLE, FOLLOWED BY A NEARLY VERTICAL DESCENT INTO A HOUSE.' THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE A MULTI-ENGINE RATING. HE ATTEMPTED TO OBTAIN A MULTI-ENGINE RATING 15 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, BUT FAILED 3 ATTEMPTS. IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, THE PILOT FLEW AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 22 HOURS. THE ENGINES WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED DURING THE IMPACT. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINES REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,054 hours in all; 148 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,075 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-470-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ROC Rochester NY at 7:28 pm
- Destination: OKV Winchester VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 1.5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:32 pm from HGR, 5 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.
Other NTSB records under N85WM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC94FA160.