
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, May 1, 1995                   TAG: 9505020065
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: MINERAL                                LENGTH: Short

PILOT KILLED IN CRASH OF SMALL AIRPLANE

A small plane crashed into a patch of woods just short of the Louisa County Airport, killing the pilot, authorities said Sunday.

The plane, which the Federal Aviation Administration said was a Piper PA-28 Cherokee, dug nose-first into the earth about 500 yards short of the landing strip, state police spokeswoman Mary Evans said. It was raining at the time.

There were no passengers and no other injuries, Evans added.

The four-passenger plane's pilot told the tower he would attempt a landing, an airport employee said. Because rain in the area reduced visibility, the airport was under ``instrument conditions'' and the pilot was using mechanical indicators instead of sight to bring the plane down.

``He tried to approach the field,'' the airport worker said. ``We saw him fly by, and then we saw the crash.''

- Associated Press

Keywords:
FATALITY

by CNB