Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gerton, North Carolina 28735
Monday, October 31, 1994 18:56 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT RECEIVED SEVERAL VISUAL FLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFINGS BEFORE DEPARTING. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST BRIEFING, VISUAL FLIGHT FOR THE PLANNED ROUTE WAS NOT RECOMMENDED; HOWEVER, THE PILOT ELECTED TO FLY THE PLANNED ROUTE. THREE AND ONE HALF HOURS AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT LANDED AT AN AIRPORT SHORT OF HIS PLANNED DESTINATION, AND REFUELED WITH 16 GALLONS OF FUEL. MINUTES AFTER THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH ASHEVILLE APPROACH, AND REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO ASHEVILLE. THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN VFR CONDITIONS. MOMENTS LATER RADIO CONTACT WAS LOST, AND THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A MOUNTAIN RIDGE AT THE 3800 FOOT LEVEL. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES; AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER AN AREA 135 FEET LONG. THE EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES, AND A POST-IMPACT FIRE. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE DETERMINED FROM THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION. WEATHER REPORTS INDICATED THAT CLOUDS OBSCURED THE MOUNTAINS WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION AND HIS INTENTIONAL VISUAL FLIGHT INTO IMC.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/31/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1856 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | GERTON |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28735 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| 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 | 1903 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 250 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AVL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2165 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 400 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 3 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2250 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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) | 1822 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 1 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 200 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5338D |
| NTSB Number | ATL95FA009 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172N |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17272527 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 8 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 101 |
| Airframe Hours | 6641 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TAR HEEL AVIATION INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | POB 916 |
| Aircraft Owner City | JACKSONVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 28540 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | BEAUFORT AVIATION INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 150 AIRPORT ROAD |
| Operator City | BEAUFORT |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 28516 |
| 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 | MRH |
| Departure City | BEAUFORT |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | M91 |
| Destination City | SPRINGFIELD |
| 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 | -- |