Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Panama City-Bay Co Int'l Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fountain, Florida 32438
Friday, April 23, 1999 18:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Before departure on a ferry flight, both previously damaged propellers were removed and replaced. An incorrect propeller was installed on the left position by a person with a revoked mechanic's certificate. The flight departed with full fuel tanks, all gears braced down, and no radios. After takeoff while flying with another airplane, the pilot motioned by hand signals that he needed to land. The pilot landed in a field with no flaps and after rolling approximately 300 feet, the airplane became airborne, then collided with several trees. Post accident examination revealed that the right propeller was feathered. Examination of the fuel vent system revealed all recovered fuel vents were blocked; an insect resembling a wasp was found in a section of the left fuel vent line. Examination of the flight controls, engines, and propellers revealed no evidence of pre-impact failure or mechanical malfunction. The No. 1 top spark plug of the left engine was missing. The pilot's airman certificate was suspended for 180 days in February 1996, for operating an airplane with incorrect propellers installed. The permanent maintenance records did not contain an entry that the airplane was inspected and found to be safe for the intended ferry flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane that resulted in a loss of engine power because of fuel vent blockage and his selection of unsuitable terrain for the forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/23/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1800 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | FOUNTAIN |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32438 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | PANAMA CITY-BAY CO INT'L |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KPFN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 28 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 36 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1753 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 216 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PFN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 21 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 25 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 891 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 23 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2006 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 11:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6600 |
| NTSB Number | MIA99FA140 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | B95A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | B95A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TD-506 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4200 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 16 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 3042 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | U.S. AIR SALVAGE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 5832 |
| Aircraft Owner City | JOHNSON CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 37603 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | RONALD E. PRESSLEY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 441 BUGABOO SPRINGS RD. |
| Operator City | JONESBOROUGH |
| Operator State | TN |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 37659 |
| 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) | Ferry |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PFN |
| Departure City | PANAMA CITY |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1734 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 0A4 |
| Destination City | JOHNSON CITY |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |