Hendersonville Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Hendersonville, North Carolina 28793
Wednesday, September 13, 1995 15:55 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT COMPUTE THE AIRPLANE WEIGHT AND BALANCE NOR DO ANY PREFLIGHT PERFORMANCE CALCULATIONS. ON TAKEOFF THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE NOR CLIMB. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED INTO TREES AND THE GROUND. POSTACCIDENT CALCULATIONS REVEALED THE AIRPLANE WAS 260 POUNDS OVER MAXIMUM GROSS TAKEOFF WEIGHT LIMITATIONS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO PERFORM PREFLIGHT WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATIONS RESULTING IN THE AIRPLANE EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM GROSS TAKEOFF WEIGHT LIMITATIONS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/13/1995
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1555
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City HENDERSONVILLE
Event State NORTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 28793
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport HENDERSONVILLE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID OA7
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 140
Airport Elevation 2084
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1950 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 100
Weather Observation Facility ID AVL
Elevation of weather observation facility 2165
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 35
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3300
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) 8
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 19
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 150
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 Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 983
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 13 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1655
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:36PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6721D
NTSB Number MIA95LA221
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 BEECH
Aircraft Model 77
Aircraft Series Identifier 77
Aircraft Serial Number WA-84
Certified Max Gross Weight 1675
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jan 26 1995 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 33
Airframe Hours 6130
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILLIAM R. LEDBETTER
Aircraft Owner Street Address 265 MARGATE CIRCLE
Aircraft Owner City CHESNEE
Aircraft Owner State SC
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 29323
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code OA7
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1554
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code 5N4
Destination City LINCOLNTOWN
Destination State NC
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
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 14
Runway Length 3075
Runway Width 40
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --