Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Hawkins Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jackson, Mississippi 39201
Saturday, April 17, 1999 10:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airshow pilot stated that he positioned the airplane's externally mounted 12 foot aerial rope ladder onto the truck's rear platform, as practiced, and when given the radio call from the truck driver that the performer 'was on', the pilot started a climb away from the truck. At about 100 feet agl, the pilot felt a lurch, and the performer lost his grip on the ladder and fell to his death. Post crash examination of the FAA approved ladder and attach points revealed no failures or malfunctions. A video tape of the routine revealed that the ladder performer's jacket inflated just before the fall. The acrobatic routine pilot immediately preceding the accident stated flying conditions were turbulent at altitude, but conditions at the runway surface allowed a smooth touchdown. Toxicological testing of specimens from the performer revealed the presence of diazepam, (trade name, valium) and its metabolite, however, the blood specimen levels of each were below the limit of quantitation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the airshow aerial performer to maintain a grip on the airplane's externally mounted rope ladder for unknown reasons and his failure to install and use a safety line resulting in his fall to earth. A factor in the accident was the sudden 'blossoming' by the air stream of the performer's jacket just before he lost his grip due to inadequate preflight securing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/17/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1045 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | JACKSON |
| Event State | MISSISSIPPI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 39201 |
| 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 | HAWKINS FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HKS |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 342 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 954 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 105 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | JAN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 346 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| 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) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 16 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 21 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 624 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 17 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1330 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 10:10AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N38272 |
| NTSB Number | MIA99LA131 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | J-3C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | J-3C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 6898 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1250 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 27 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 2950 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILLIAM A. MCCAIN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 146 HIGHWAY 49 |
| Aircraft Owner City | JACKSON |
| Aircraft Owner State | MS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 39209 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | HKS |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1045 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 12:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34 |
| Runway Length | 5387 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |