Berkely County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Moncks Corner, South Carolina 29461
Sunday, March 19, 1995 15:15 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING FINAL APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 23, THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED ABRUPTLY FROM APPROXIMATELY 12-14 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD AND BOUNCED TWICE. FOLLOWING THE SECOND BOUNCE, THE PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER TO ATTEMPT A GO-AROUND. THE AIRCRAFT RAN OFF THE RUNWAY EDGE, AND THE RIGHT WINGTIP STRUCK A PLOWED FIELD THAT WAS ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE CARTWHEELED. THE PILOT EXITED THE PLANE AND NOTED THAT THE WINDSOCK WAS INDICATING A 10-14 KNOT TAILWIND FOR RUNWAY 23. THE PILOT/BUILDER INDICATED THAT HE HAD NOT NOTICED THE WINDSOCK WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THERE WAS NO MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF THE WRONG RUNWAY RELATIVE TO THE WIND CONDITIONS AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT WITH THE RUNWAY DURING THE BALKED LANDING.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/19/1995
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1515
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City MONCKS CORNER
Event State SOUTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 29461
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport BERKELY COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 50J
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 74
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1551 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID CHS
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 5000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
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) 20
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 8
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 80
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 15
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 171
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 20 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 930
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:09PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N803BW
NTSB Number ATL95LA067
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name WENTE
Aircraft Model KITFOX III
Aircraft Series Identifier KITFOX III
Aircraft Serial Number 803
Certified Max Gross Weight 1050
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 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Mar 19 1995 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 8
Airframe Hours 113
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WENTE, ROBERT O.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 174 HOLLYRIDGE LANE
Aircraft Owner City SUMMERVILLE
Aircraft Owner State SC
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 29483
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 71S
Departure City SUMMERVILLE
Departure State SC
Departure Country
Departure Time 1430
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
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 23
Runway Length 3801
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --