Skip to content

Atlas / NTSB / ATL86LA061

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event ATL86LA061

1986-01-20 RURAL RETREAT, Virginia, United States Airport · 5A1 Serious 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

PILOT SAID FIRST ADF APPROACH TERMINATED BY MISSED APPROACH DUE TO OSCILLATING DIRECTIONAL NEEDLE. ON SECOND APPROACH ACFT BROKE OUT OF CLOUDS WITH TREES IN FRONT OF ACFT. IT IMPACTED A CLOUD OBSCURED RIDGE 3.5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF AIRPORT ON A SOUTHERLY HEADING. PILOT/WITNESSES REPORTED STRONG WINDS FROM THE NORTHWEST TO NORTH. FINAL APPROACH COURSE FOR NDB APPROACH WAS 253. CEILING REPORTED AT AIRPORT AS 1000'. MDA WAS 1100'. NDB WAS REPORTED BY FBO AS APPARENTLY OPERATING SATISFACTORILY. TESTS OF ACFT ADF RECEIVER REVEALED IT ALSO OPERATED SATISFACTORILY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1986_ATL86LA061.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.