Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Piedmont, South Carolina 29673
Saturday, February 11, 1995 16:18 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE STUDENT PILOT (59 HOURS TOTAL TIME) WAS OBSERVED TO BE 'BUZZING' A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, SHORTLY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD ENTER A DIVE, THEN PULL STRAIGHT UP, THEN REPEAT. ONE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT IN A DIVE, AND NO RECOVERY WAS MADE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN A PARKING LOT IN A NEAR VERTICAL, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. MULTIPLE PIECES OF GREEN PLEXIGLASS WINDSHIELD FRAGMENTS, AND SOME LIGHTWEIGHT ITEMS FROM THE COCKPIT, WERE FOUND WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEEN BUZZING, WHICH WAS ABOUT 1/2 MILE WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF IMPACT DAMAGE ON THE PLEXIGLASS FRAGMENTS. THIS EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE PILOT OVERSTRESSED THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE LAST DIVE RECOVERY, RESULTING IN THE WINDSHIELD SHATTERING IN FLIGHT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inappropriate 'buzzing' that resulted in exceeding the airplane's design stress limits, the failure of the windshield, and the pilot's subsequent loss of control and impact with the ground.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 2/11/1995
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1618
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City PIEDMONT
Event State SOUTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 29673
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 2
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 1551 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 60
Weather Observation Facility ID GSP
Elevation of weather observation facility 961
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3500
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) 4
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 310
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
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 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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 424
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Feb 11 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1700
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:02PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N607BB
NTSB Number ATL95FA049
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 CESSNA
Aircraft Model 150J
Aircraft Series Identifier 150J
Aircraft Serial Number 15070524
Certified Max Gross Weight 1600
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 Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Dec 10 1994 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 94
Airframe Hours 3277
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name SHIPLEY, CHARLES F. JR.
Aircraft Owner Street Address RT 2, BOX 421
Aircraft Owner City GRAY COURT
Aircraft Owner State SC
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 29645
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name DONALDSON AIR SERVICES, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 126 CLUB LOOP
Operator City GREENVILLE
Operator State SC
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 29605
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 7A1
Departure City GREENVILLE
Departure State SC
Departure Country
Departure Time 1545
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
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 --