Baltimore - Staunton

On September 23, 1985 at 10:20 AM, Baltimore - Staunton experienced a crash involving Beechcraft 99 Airliner, operated by Henson Airlines, with the event recorded near Staunton Virginia.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a mountains crash site.

14 people were known to be on board, 14 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 12, passenger fatalities: 12, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Henson Airlines flight 1517 was cleared for an instrument approach to the Shenandoah Valley Airport, Weyers Cave, Virginia, at 0959 on September 23, 1985, after a routine flight from Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Baltimore, Maryland. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at Shenandoah Valley Airport. there were 12 passengers and 2 crew members aboard the scheduled domestic passenger flight operating under 14 CFR 135. Radar service was terminated at 1003. The crew of flight 1517 subsequently contacted the Henson station agent and Shenandoah unicom. The last recorded radar return was at 1011, at which time the airplane was east of the localizer course at 2,700 feet mean sea level and on a magnetic track of about 075°. At 1014 the pilot said, '..we're showing a little west of course...' and at 1015 he asked if he was east of course. At 1017, the controller suggested a missed approach if the airplane was not established on the localizer course. There was no response from the crew of flight 1517 whose last recorded transmission was at 1016. The wreckage of flight 1517 was located about 1842 approximately six miles east of the airport. Both crew members and all 12 passengers were fatally injured.

Aircraft reference details include registration N339HA, MSN U-156, year of manufacture 1974.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 38.1496°, -79.0726°.