Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Rock Hill, South Carolina 29731
Sunday, August 20, 1995 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AS THE FLIGHT APPROACHED THE AIRPORT, RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT IT WENT INTO A SHALLOW DESCENDING LEFT TURN AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT. RADAR DATA WAS LOST AT ABOUT 650 FEET AGL WITH THE GROUND SPEED ABOUT 100 KNOTS. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT FLYING ON A SOUTHERLY HEADING AND ENTER A SPIN OR SPIRAL FROM WHICH IT CRASHED NOSE FIRST INTO THE GROUND. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE, FLIGHT CONTROLS, AND ENGINES SHOWED NO PRECRASH FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION OF THE PILOT SHOWED HE HAD SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK. THE PILOT HAD A HISTORY OF HEART DISEASE, A PREVIOUS HEART ATTACK, AND HEART BYPASS SURGERY. HE HELD A SPECIAL ISSUANCE FAA MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, DUE TO HIS HISTORY OF HEART DISEASE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S IN-FLIGHT LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL, DUE TO INCAPACITATION BY A HEART ATTACK.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/20/1995
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 28
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City ROCK HILL
Event State SOUTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 29731
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 8
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 51 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 10
Weather Observation Facility ID CLT
Elevation of weather observation facility 749
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 20
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 8000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
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) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 21
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 80
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 1800
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) 1176
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 20 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 315
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:31PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N41GA
NTSB Number MIA95FA208
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 Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model 601P
Aircraft Series Identifier 601P
Aircraft Serial Number 61P-0465-183
Certified Max Gross Weight 6000
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 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Sep 1 1994 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 94
Airframe Hours 2561
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name BLAIR M. BYCURA
Aircraft Owner Street Address 8021 KITRIDGE BAY
Aircraft Owner City TEGA CAY
Aircraft Owner State SC
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 29715
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 CRE
Departure City MYRTLE BEACH
Departure State SC
Departure Country
Departure Time 2300
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code 29J
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
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 --