Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Defuniak Spring, Florida 32433
Monday, March 25, 1996 21:24 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The noninstrument-rated commercial pilot was in cruise flight flying over an interstate highway at night. The ceiling reported by an FAA Flight Service Station (destination airport) was 400 feet overcast, visibility 2 miles, with drizzle and fog. The pilot flew into a fog bank and the helicopter encountered instrument flight conditions. The pilot slowed the helicopter down and initiated a 180-degree right turn. During the turn, he heard a 'popping' sound to his left and observed a flickering light on the instrument panel. He checked the flight instruments, noticed the helicopter was in a diving right turn, observed lights on the interstate highway and increased collective pitch. The main rotor blades collided with trees, and the helicopter went to the right, crossed the interstate highway, hit some more trees, and crashed.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and inadvertent descent, due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in a collision with trees. Factors relating to the accident were: the adverse weather conditions and the pilot's lack of instrument experience.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/25/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 2124 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | DEFUNIAK SPRING |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32433 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| 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 | 2154 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 310 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CEW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 215 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 400 |
| 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) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| 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 | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 48 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 26 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 225 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 9:54AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N56874 |
| NTSB Number | MIA96LA106 |
| 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 | Enstrom |
| Aircraft Model | F-28C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | F-28C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 467 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1950 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 20 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 |
| Airframe Hours | 1050 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JONATHAN P. GRAY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1700 MOJAVE VIEW DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | CORONA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 91720 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ROBERT D. DUDA |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 26 MOUNTAIN SHADOWS PLACE |
| Operator City | POMONA |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 91766 |
| 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) | Ferry |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | TLH |
| Departure City | TALLAHASSEE |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2053 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CEW |
| Destination City | CRESTVIEW |
| Destination State | FL |
| 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 | -- |