Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Jackson, Alabama 36545
Tuesady, July 5, 1994 14:59 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC, THE VFR ONLY PILOT RECEIVED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS FORECASTED ALONG THE INTENDED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. WHILE ENROUTE, THE PILOT ENTERED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AND REQUESTED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL ASSISTANCE. THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER ATTEMPTED TO PROVIDE THE PILOT WITH RADAR VECTORS BUT, NEVER GOT A RESPONSE FROM THE PILOT. THE PILOT'S LAST TRANSMISSION WAS, 'MAYDAY, MAYDAY, WE'RE GOING DOWN'. SECONDS LATER, RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST; AN ELT SIGNAL WAS RECEIVED BY ANOTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE VICINITY OF THE LAST RADAR HIT. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER A WOODED AREA 2500 FEET LONG AND 300 FEET WIDE. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE PATH REVEALED THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING ASSEMBLIES WERE LOCATED 600 FEET APART NORTH OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. EXAMINATION OF THE MAIN WING SPAR FRACTURE REVEALED THAT THE OVERLOAD FAILURE OCCURRED IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION. FLIGHT COMPONENTS FROM THE EMPENNAGE WERE LOCATED SOUTH OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT RUDDERVATOR ASSEMBLY DISCLOSED THAT IT SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO AVOID AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND THE DESIGNED STRUCTURAL LIMITS OF THE AIRFRAME BEING EXCEEDED. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/5/1994
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1459
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City JACKSON
Event State ALABAMA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 36545
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 7
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1450 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID MOB
Elevation of weather observation facility 218
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 45
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
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) 32
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 24
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 230
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 1500
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1365
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 5 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1800
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 11:40AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7917D
NTSB Number ATL94FA131
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 H-35
Aircraft Series Identifier H-35
Aircraft Serial Number D-5175
Certified Max Gross Weight 2900
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 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 29 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 186
Airframe Hours 990
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AUTO CENTER INC.,
Aircraft Owner Street Address 437 CEDAR BLUFF TRAIL
Aircraft Owner City MADISON
Aircraft Owner State MS
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 39110
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MBO
Departure City MADISON
Departure State MS
Departure Country
Departure Time 1358
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code GNV
Destination City GAINESVILLE
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 --