Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Birmingham Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sylvan Springs, Alabama 35118
Saturday, December 10, 1994 18:58 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
BEFORE DEPARTURE THE PILOT WAS ADVISED OF THE FORECAST ALTITUDE OF THE FREEZING LEVEL AND WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT THE TEMPERATURE AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WAS 15 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT ABOVE FREEZING. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED AND EN ROUTE EXPERIENCED WHAT THE PILOT REPORTED AS LIGHT RIME ICING. AT THE PILOT'S REQUEST THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED TO RETURN AND THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT THAT AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT WITH A NON-PRECISION INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE WAS NEARBY. THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT ON AN ASSIGNED HEADING AND REQUESTED A LOWER ALTITUDE. THE CONTROLLER CLEARED THE FLIGHT TO CRUISE 2,500 FEET. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH AN ELECTRICAL TOWER AND 250 KV CABLE ABOUT 90 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE TOWER WAS LOCATED ABOUT 14.3 NM AND 266 DEGREES FROM THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT CERTIFICATED FOR FLIGHT INTO ICING CONDITIONS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
POOR IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND FOR FAILURE TO DEVIATE TO AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT AFTER ENCOUNTERING ICING CONDITIONS IN AN AIRPLANE NOT CERTIFICATED FOR FLIGHT IN ICING CONDITIONS. ALSO, FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE RESULTING IN THE INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH AN ELECTRICAL TOWER.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/10/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1858 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | SYLVAN SPRINGS |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35118 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | BIRMINGHAM |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BHM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 16 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 266 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1850 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 86 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BHM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 644 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 900 |
| 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) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1927 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 10 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2100 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6517C |
| NTSB Number | MIA95FA037 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32RT-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32RT-30 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-7885030 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 29 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 48 |
| Airframe Hours | 3416 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BERG OYVIND |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1122 E. NORTHFIELD BLVD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | MURFREESBORO |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 37130 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AIR CARRIERS, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 4100 65TH ST. NORTH |
| Operator City | BIRMINGHAM |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 35206 |
| Operator Code | DKBA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BHM |
| Departure City | BIRMINGHAM |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1737 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MEM |
| Destination City | MEMPHIS |
| 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 | -- |