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nonstandardized navigational radio systems installed in the airline's Beech 99 fleet; (2) intracockpit communication difficulties associated with high ambient noise levels in the airplane; (3) inadequate training of the pilots by the airline; (4) the first officer's limited multiengine and instrument flying experience; (5) the pilots' limited experience in their positions in the Beech 99; and (6) stress-inducing events in the lives of the pilots. Also contributing to the accident was the inadequate surveillance of the airline by the
Federal Aviation Administration which failed to detect the deficiencies which led to the accident.
27:
273:
determined that the probable cause of this accident was a navigational error by the flight crew resulting from their use of the incorrect navigational facility and their failure to adequately monitor the flight instruments. Factors which contributed to the flightcrew's errors were: (1) the
757:
253:
The flight was routine until approach into
Shenandoah Valley. At 10:14 am, Captain Burns told the Air Traffic Controller that he believed that the plane was too far west of his course. The controller tried several times to reach Flight 1517 by radio to no avail.
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The search for Flight 1517 started at 10:25 am. At 6:42 pm, Civil Air Patrol located the crash site 6 miles east from the airport. Flight 1517 struck the southwest face of Hall
Mountain at an elevation of 2,400 ft.
249:
At 9:59 am, Flight 1517 departed
Baltimore bound for Shenandoah Valley. On board were twelve passengers and two crew members. The crew were Captain Martin Burns III (27), and First Officer Zilda Spadaro-Wolan (26).
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368:"Weyers Cave, VA Commuter Plane Crashes In Mountains, Sep 1985 - GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods"
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Zilda
Spadaro-Wolan was the first female commercial airline pilot to perish in an airplane crash in the United States.
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308:"AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT HENSON AIRLINES FLIGHT 1517 BEECH B99, N339HA GROTTOES, VIRGINIA SEPTEMBER 23, 1985"
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337:"ASN Aircraft accident Beechcraft B99 N339HA Staunton-Shenandoah Valley Airport, VA (SHD)"
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Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States and U.S. territories in the 1980s
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113:
1188:
An asterisk (*) denotes an incident that took place in a U.S. territory.
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Henson
Airlines Flight 1517 was a regular scheduled flight from
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1211:
Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1985
1231:
Accidents and incidents involving the
Beechcraft Model 99
1206:
Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error
226:. The two pilots and twelve passengers were killed.
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1008:
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36:
1069:Indianapolis Ramada Inn A-7D Corsair II crash
751:
426:
282:The passengers included playwright and actor
8:
1216:Airliner accidents and incidents in Virginia
19:
31:A Beech 99 similar to the accident aircraft
1226:September 1985 events in the United States
1151:Evergreen International Airlines Flight 17
1028:Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628 incident
758:
744:
736:
433:
419:
411:
236:Baltimore-Washington International Airport
157:Baltimore-Washington International Airport
25:
18:
819:Thunderbirds Indian Springs Diamond Crash
940:Provincetown-Boston Airlines Flight 1039
922:Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 901
299:
242:. The flight was operated on behalf of
1081:Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771
7:
405:Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
317:. September 30, 1986. NTSB/AAR-86/07
315:National Transportation Safety Board
290:, a personal care products company.
271:National Transportation Safety Board
1098:Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286
981:Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105
639:Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105
240:Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport
224:Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport
167:Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport
14:
934:San Luis Obispo mid-air collision
1075:Continental Airlines Flight 1713
443:Aviation accidents and incidents
975:Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808
887:Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8
629:Bakhtar Antonov An-26 shootdown
619:Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808
549:Trans World Airlines Flight 847
1016:Grand Canyon mid-air collision
54:Controlled flight into terrain
1:
1063:Northwest Airlines Flight 255
1051:Northwest Airlink Flight 2268
1104:American Airlines Flight 132
1045:SkyWest Airlines Flight 1834
928:Vieques Air Link Flight 901A
875:Eastern Air Lines Flight 855
796:Eastern Air Lines Flight 935
679:Aeroflot Antonov An-12 crash
467:Eastern Air Lines Flight 980
1128:Delta Air Lines Flight 1141
993:Teterboro mid-air collision
987:Henson Airlines Flight 1517
869:United Airlines Flight 2885
831:Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458
659:Teterboro mid-air collision
649:Henson Airlines Flight 1517
609:Manchester Airport disaster
222:, while on approach to the
216:Henson Airlines Flight 1517
20:Henson Airlines Flight 1517
1247:
1175:United Express Flight 2415
1157:United Airlines Flight 232
1145:United Airlines Flight 811
1057:American Eagle Flight 5452
969:Delta Air Lines Flight 191
957:Galaxy Airlines Flight 203
905:Anchorage runway collision
899:Ozark Air Lines Flight 650
599:Japan Air Lines Flight 123
589:Delta Air Lines Flight 191
539:Zolochiv mid-air collision
487:Galaxy Airlines Flight 203
286:and several executives of
1184:
1116:Aloha Airlines Flight 243
963:China Airlines Flight 006
718:
559:Braathens SAFE Flight 139
507:China Airlines Flight 006
458:
89:38.2265833°N 78.7770833°W
24:
1186:This list is incomplete.
779:Air Wisconsin Flight 965
709:Ricky Nelson plane crash
347:Flight Safety Foundation
893:Air Illinois Flight 710
825:World Airways Flight 30
699:Aeroflot Flight 101/435
342:Aviation Safety Network
214:On September 23, 1985,
94:38.2265833; -78.7770833
689:Arrow Air Flight 1285R
246:as Piedmont Commuter.
16:1985 aviation accident
1022:Aeroméxico Flight 498
999:Death of Ricky Nelson
881:Air Canada Flight 797
813:Air Florida Flight 90
579:Aeroflot Flight 5143
569:Air India Flight 182
497:Aeroflot Flight 7841
989:(September 23 1985)
727:► 1986
721:1984 ◄
669:EgyptAir Flight 648
374:on 23 December 2016
85: /
21:
1177:(December 26 1989)
1171:(December 15 1989)
1112:(February 19 1988)
983:(September 6 1985)
907:(December 23 1983)
901:(December 20 1983)
724:
278:Notable passengers
220:Grottoes, Virginia
110:Aircraft type
68:Grottoes, Virginia
45:September 23, 1985
1193:
1192:
1163:USAir Flight 5050
1110:AVAir Flight 3378
1106:(February 3 1988)
852:Pan Am Flight 830
837:Pan Am Flight 759
827:(January 23 1982)
821:(January 18 1982)
815:(January 13 1982)
733:
732:
517:Iberia Flight 610
397:NTSB Final Report
244:Piedmont Airlines
212:
211:
129:Piedmont Commuter
1238:
1221:1985 in Virginia
1165:(September 1989)
977:(August 25 1985)
936:(August 24 1984)
930:(August 2 1984)*
798:(September 1981)
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477:CAAC Flight 5109
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370:. Archived from
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230:Accident details
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153:Flight origin
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80:78°46′37.50″W
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1153:(March 1989)
1118:(April 1988)
1053:(March 1987)
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376:. Retrieved
372:the original
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352:15 September
350:. Retrieved
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319:. Retrieved
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215:
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144:Registration
1159:(July 1989)
1059:(May 1987)*
1018:(June 1986)
781:(June 1980)
378:22 December
218:crashed in
163:Destination
138:HENSON 1517
92: /
58:pilot error
1200:Categories
1124:(May 1988)
877:(May 1983)
294:References
288:Beiersdorf
284:Larry Shue
197:Fatalities
181:Passengers
401:Alternate
321:April 30,
205:Survivors
173:Occupants
135:Call sign
846:accident
120:Operator
114:Beech 99
105:Aircraft
37:Accident
528:Polar 3
447: (
445:in 1985
269:The US
56:due to
50:Summary
705:Dec 31
695:Dec 19
685:Dec 12
675:Nov 25
665:Nov 23
655:Nov 10
645:Sep 23
615:Aug 25
605:Aug 22
595:Aug 12
575:Jul 10
565:Jun 23
555:Jun 21
545:Jun 14
523:Feb 24
513:Feb 19
503:Feb 19
483:Jan 21
473:Jan 18
148:N339HA
127:d/b/a
635:Sep 6
625:Sep 4
585:Aug 2
535:May 3
493:Feb 1
463:Jan 1
311:(PDF)
265:Cause
1138:1989
1091:1988
1038:1987
1009:1986
950:1985
915:1984
862:1983
806:1982
789:1981
772:1980
449:1985
380:2016
354:2014
323:2019
189:Crew
64:Site
42:Date
403:at
238:to
1202::
345:.
339:.
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200:14
184:12
176:14
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752:t
745:v
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434:e
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399:(
382:.
356:.
325:.
208:0
192:2
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
