Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Bay Minette, Alabama 36507
Tuesady, March 1, 1994 11:15 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT RECEIVED A FULL WEATHER BRIEFING BEFORE THE IFR FLIGHT. CONVECTIVE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS FORECAST FOR THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT, THERE WERE NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE, AND A TORNADO WATCH WAS IN EFFECT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AFTER LEVELING AT FL210, HE REPORTED THAT CONDITIONS WERE 'GETTING ROUGH.' SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT GYRO SYSTEM, THEN SAID ALL GYRO'S WERE 'OUT.' HE ELECTED TO DESCEND IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOCATE VFR WEATHER. AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED, RADIO & RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST. WRECKAGE WAS FOUND DISTRIBUTED OVER AN AREA ABOUT 4-1/2 MILES IN LENGTH. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE WINGS HAD FAILED IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION. DURING AN EXAM OF THE VACUUM POWERED ATTITUDE GYRO, NO ROTATIONAL SCRATCHING WAS FOUND ON THE GYRO OR IN THE GYRO HOUSING. AN EXAM OF THE LEFT VACUUM PUMP REVEALED THAT THE PLASTIC DRIVE COUPLING HAD SIGNS OF HEAT STRESS & MELTING, THAT THE INTERNAL VEINS WERE BROKEN & CRACKED & THAT THERE WAS A DEPOSIT OF CARBON MATERIAL INSIDE THE HOUSING. THE RIGHT VACUUM PUMP HAD EVIDENCE OF ROTATIONAL SCRATCHING. THE GYROS SHOULD HAVE OPERATED WITH 1 VACUUM PUMP IN OPERATION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, AND EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIMSELF AND THE AIRPLANE, FAILURE OF THE LEFT VACUUM PUMP, PARTIAL LOSS OF THE VACUUM SYSTEM, AND AN INOPERATIVE ATTITUDE INDICATOR.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/1/1994
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1115
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City BAY MINETTE
Event State ALABAMA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 36507
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1128 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 270
Weather Observation Facility ID MOB
Elevation of weather observation facility 218
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 800
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) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 19
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 19
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 210
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
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 Heavy
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 4
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1050
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Feb 1 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1210
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 10:47AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N55MM
NTSB Number ATL94FA056
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model P210R
Aircraft Series Identifier P210R
Aircraft Serial Number P21000874
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
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 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Dec 17 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 26
Airframe Hours 882
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name TRIPLE SIX SUGAR WHISKEY CORP.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 8 TRAILSIDE CT.
Aircraft Owner City NEW CITY
Aircraft Owner State NY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 10956
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name WEISER, JOEL J.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 8 TRAILSIDE CT.
Operator City NEW CITY
Operator State NY
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 10956
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code NEW
Departure City NEW ORLEANS
Departure State LA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1026
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code 61X
Destination City SARASOTA
Destination State FL
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 --