Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Medina Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Medina, Ohio 44256
Sunday, February 7, 1999 11:36 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot flew into the airport to pick up a second passenger and refuel. After refueling and recalculating the weight and balance, the pilot called AFSS for an updated weather briefing. The pilot filed an IFR flight plan and received an IFR clearance and void time. During this time, a snow squall began. Witnesses saw the two passengers sweeping snow off of the airplane's wings prior to departure, but not the horizontal stabilator. While taxiing to the runway for departure, the pilot acknowledged the UNICOM that the winds were out of the east at 8-10 knots. A witness noted the visibility was approximately 1/4 mile in heavy snow when the airplane departed runway 27. The airplane struck trees approximately a 1/2 mile from the runway. A passenger stated that there were no engine problems prior to hitting the trees. The pilot did not report any mechanical deficiencies with the airframe or engine. On-site examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical deficiencies with the airframe or engine.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Was the pilot's failure to remove snow from the horizontal stabilator prior to take-off and his improper decision to depart downwind. Factors in the accident were the heavy snow squall and tailwind.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/7/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1136 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | MEDINA |
| Event State | OHIO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 44256 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | MEDINA MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | IG5 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 260 |
| Airport Elevation | 1192 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1131 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 335 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CLE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 792 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 21 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 400 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Moderate |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 3 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1889 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 7 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1215 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 19 2001 4:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N31975 |
| NTSB Number | IAD99LA029 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32RT-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32RT-30 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-7885147 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 23 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CHRISTOPHER J. TARDIO |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3674 TIFFANY RIDGE LANE |
| Aircraft Owner City | CINCINNATI |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 45241 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | BUREAU OF ATF |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 6745 ENGLE ROAD, ROOM 200 |
| Operator City | MIDDLEBURG HEIG |
| Operator State | OH |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 44130 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 1G5 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1136 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 0M1 |
| Destination City | PARSONS |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 19 2001 4:07AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 27 |
| Runway Length | 3556 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |