Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Craig Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jacksonville, Florida 32225
Monday, May 20, 1996 14:35 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot made an emergency landing to an airport after informing ATC that the engine had sustained a partial loss of engine power. Witnesses observed the airplane touch down extremely fast, long, and initiate a go-around. The airplane was observed in a nose high, climbing right turn, and a lack of airspeed. The nose dropped down, and the airplane collided with the trees and terrain in a nose down attitude. Disassembly of the engine revealed the piston plugs on the Nos.3 and 5 cylinders were installed on the forward sides of both pistons. This allowed the unprotected ends of the pins to rub against the cylinder walls. The remaining cylinder assemblies were correctly installed. Review of the engine logbook revealed the engine had not been disassembled since assembly by the manufacturer.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed (VSO) while maneuvering during a go-around, resulting in an inadvertent stall and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to achieve the proper touchdown point during an emergency landing, his decision to make a go-around with a known mechanical deficiency (partial loss of engine power) due to the improper installation of the piston plugs during assembly of the engine by the manufacturer.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/20/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1435 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | JACKSONVILLE |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32225 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | CRAIG MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CRG |
| 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 | 41 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1440 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 160 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CRG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 41 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 694 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 20 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1545 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:00AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9164B |
| NTSB Number | MIA96LA142 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3206047 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 17 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 65 |
| Airframe Hours | 761 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SAF T FLYERS INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2316 BAYBARD BLVD |
| Aircraft Owner City | WILMINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19802 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ROGER C. DOERR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1261 INDIAN MOUND TRAIL |
| Operator City | VERRO BEACH |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 32963 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | CRG |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | VRB |
| Destination City | VERRO BEACH |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:00AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 32 |
| Runway Length | 4007 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |