Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Timmonsville, South Carolina 29161
Sunday, November 27, 1994 11:10 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A COUPLE MADE A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO VISIT FRIENDS WHO WERE IN ANOTHER STATE. THE HUSBAND HAD A PRIVATE CERTIFICATE WITH AN INSTRUMENT RATING, AND HIS WIFE HAD A PRIVATE CERTIFICATE. BOTH HAD AN AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATING. DURING THE FLIGHT THE VACUUM PUMP FAILED, AND IT WAS NOT REPAIRED DURING THE VISIT. FOLLOWING THE WEEKEND VISIT, THEY WERE RETURNING HOME. PRIOR TO DEPARTING, THE HUSBAND OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING FOR A VFR FLIGHT. VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED BY THE FSS SPECIALIST BECAUSE OF FORECASTED INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, AT THE EXPECTED ARRIVAL TIME. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED VFR, AND WHEN NEAR THE DESTINATION REQUESTED AN IFR CLARENCE FOR AN APPROACH. THE HUSBAND MADE THE RADIO CALLS TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, AND STATED THAT THEY WERE BETWEEN CLOUD LAYERS. AFTER INITIATING THE FIRST VECTOR FOR THE INSTRUMENT APPROACH, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE 'GYROS' HAD BEEN LOST. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT. IT IMPACTED, OUT OF CONTROL, INTO A DENSELY WOODED AREA.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's continued operation into known adverse weather conditions with a known aircraft deficiency, and his ensuing spatial disorientation, which resulted in ground impact during an uncontrolled descent.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/27/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1110 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | TIMMONSVILLE |
| Event State | SOUTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 29161 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 1055 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 70 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FLO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 148 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| 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) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 110 |
| 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) | -- |
| 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) | 1613 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 27 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1200 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N169DW |
| NTSB Number | ATL95LA019 |
| 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 | WEEKS |
| Aircraft Model | GLASAIR SH2F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | GLASAIR SH |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 169 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 12 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WEEKS, W.D.; WEEKS, N.J.;TART, |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 118 EAST THORNCLIFF |
| Aircraft Owner City | FLORENCE |
| Aircraft Owner State | SC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 29501 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | WEEKS, WILLIAM D. & NORMA, J. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MLB |
| Departure City | MELBOURNE |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 845 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FLO |
| Destination City | FLORENCE |
| Destination State | SC |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| 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 | -- |