Date:	Sunday 12 February 1984
Time:	21:42
Type:	Piper PA-30-160 Twin Comanche
Owner/operator:	Otto L Sedwick
Registration:	N8742Y
MSN:	30-1897
Year of manufacture:	1969
Total airframe hrs:	3942 hours
Engine model:	LYCOMING IO-320-B1A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Appalachian Trail, near Wintergreen Ski Area, Massies Mill, Virginia -   United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Conway–Horry County Airport, Conway, South Carolina (HYW/KHYW)
Destination airport:	Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport, Butler, Pennsylvania (BTP/KBTP)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PILOT WAS PROGRESSING NORTHBOUND WHEN HE CONTACTED THE WASHINGTON FSS AT 21:34 EST FOR UPDATED WEATHER INFO. AT THAT TIME, HE DESCRIBED HIS POSITION AS NORTH OF LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA. THE FSS BRIEFER NOTED THAT HIS VOICE WAS NORMAL, HIS MANNER WAS CALM & PROFESSIONAL & THERE WAS NO HINT OF ANYTHING UNUSUAL.

ABOUT 8 MINUTES LATER, THE AIRCRAFT HIT TREES & TERRAIN ON A SADDLE BETWEEN 2 MOUNTAIN PEAKS, ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL. INITIAL IMPACT OCCURRED IN LEVEL FLIGHT ON A HEADING OF 190 DEGREES. AN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PRE IMPACT/MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.

RADAR DATA SHOWED A PROBABLE TRACK FOR THE AIRCRAFT. THE TRACK PROGRESSED NORTHBOUND (354 DEG) AT 4,400 TO 4,500 FEET AMSL UNTIL PASSING ABEAM MONTEBELLO VOR AT APPROXIMATELY 21.38:30 EST, JUST AFTER THE PILOT ENDED HIS RADIO CALL TO THE FSS.

THE AIRCRAFT THEN TURNED RIGHT TO ABOUT 170 DEGREES & DESCENDED TO 3,700 FEET & SLOWED FROM 180 KNOTS TO 138 KNOTS. AFTER FLYING NEAR OR OVER THE WINTERGREEN SKI AREA, WHERE NIGHT SKIING WAS IN PROGRESS, THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AT AN ELEVATION OF APPROXIMATELY 3,700 FEET. AT CO ORDINATES 37 53 N 078 59 W

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION..IMPROPER..PILOT IN COMMAND
PROPER ALTITUDE..NOT MAINTAINED..PILOT IN COMMAND

Contributing Factors:
LIGHT CONDITION..NIGHT
TERRAIN CONDITION..MOUNTAINOUS/HILLY...HIGH TERRAIN...RISING

Registration N8742Y cancelled by the FAA on May 19, 2015 - 31 years later

1. NTSB Identification: ATL84FA099 at https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20001214X38695&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=FA
2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=8742Y
3. http://planecrashmap.com/plane/va/N8742Y/
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wintergreen_Resort
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massies_Mill,_Virginia
6. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.1af.acc.af.mil/Portals/93/documents/afrcc/crash_locator/AFD-100208-073.pdf?ver=2016-02-12-094810-547]
7. http://www.aircraftdomain.com/tail-number/n8742y.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Oct-2008 10:30	ASN archive	Added
21-Dec-2016 19:23	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
02-Apr-2017 16:03	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]