Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Hames Strip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gaffney, South Carolina 29340
Friday, April 26, 1996 8:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During takeoff, the aircraft veered to the right and went off of the airstrip about 300 feet from the departure end, then it continued on a course parallel to the airstrip. The aircraft was reported to be in a tail-high, nose-low attitude, and the propeller was striking the ground. The aircraft was estimated to be traveling at about 89 knots at that time. Subsequently, the aircraft collided with a berm and became airborne, then it collided with trees and crashed into a ditch at the end of the airstrip. A postcrash fire erupted and further damaged the aircraft. Postcrash examination of the aircraft structure and engine did not show evidence of a precrash failure or malfunction; except during a check of the flight controls, the remains of a drywall screw were found in the control lock hole on the control column. This screw was locking the controls in an aircraft nose-down attitude. Members of the pilot's family and the mechanic, who maintained the aircraft, identified the drywall screw as the device used by the pilot to lock the controls on the ground.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
failure of the pilot to remove the control lock during the preflight, and his failure to check the flight controls before taking off.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/26/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 815 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | GAFFNEY |
| Event State | SOUTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 29340 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | HAMES STRIP |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 190 |
| Airport Elevation | 600 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 756 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GSP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 961 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2300 |
| 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) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1500 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 550 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 26 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 910 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 9:57AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N700HC |
| NTSB Number | MIA96FA130 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Helio |
| Aircraft Model | H-295 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | H-295 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1474 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 22 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 2421 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RANDALL K. HAMES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 202 LITTLEJOHN ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | GAFFNEY |
| Aircraft Owner State | SC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 29340 |
| 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 | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 815 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 47J |
| Destination City | CHERAW |
| Destination State | SC |
| 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 | 19 |
| Runway Length | 1500 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |