Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Thackers Airstrip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Oil City, Louisiana 71061
Sunday, October 13, 1996 17:50 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The Aeronca 11BC, N3818F, and the unregistered Flight Star ultralight (with no radio capabilities) were flying into the same uncontrolled airstrip. The noncertificated ultralight pilot entered a left traffic pattern on the downwind for runway 8 at approximately 500 feet, and discovered that the late afternoon sun was shining almost directly into his eyes. The ultralight pilot further reported that as he turned base-to-final he impacted the airplane. The Aeronca pilot, who had been flying the traffic pattern at 1,000 feet, reported that at approximately 300 feet on final approach the ultralight aircraft struck the left side of his airplane.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the failure of the pilots of both aircraft to maintain an adequate visual lookout. Factors were: different traffic pattern altitudes flown by the two pilots, and the sunglare encountered by the pilot of the ultralight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/13/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1750 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | OIL CITY |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 71061 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | THACKERS AIRSTRIP |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 5F8 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 260 |
| Airport Elevation | 202 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1756 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 165 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SHV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 179 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 22 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| 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) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| 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 | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1537 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 13 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2219 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:24AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3818E | NONE |
| NTSB Number | FTW97LA018A | FTW97LA018B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 103: Ultralight |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | Substantial | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Aeronca | FLIGHT STAR |
| Aircraft Model | 11BC | ULTRALIGHT |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 11BC | ULTRALIGHT |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 11AC-S-34 | |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1250 | 500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Ultralight |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | Not Registered |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 17 1995 12:00AM | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2020 | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes | No |
| ELT Activated | No | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RAYMOND D. TAPPE | N/A |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 845 WINTER GARDEN DR | |
| Aircraft Owner City | SHREVEPORT | |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 71107 | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- | -- |
| Operator Name | DAVID HOLLIFIELD | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Street Address | 9934 HIDDEN BRANCH LANE | |
| Operator City | SHREVEPORT | |
| Operator State | LA | |
| Operator Country | ||
| Operator Zip code | 71118 | |
| Operator Code | ||
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 5F8 | 5F8 |
| Departure City | ||
| Departure State | ||
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 1735 | 1738 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ||
| Destination City | ||
| Destination State | ||
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 28 2001 5:06PM | Oct 22 2001 3:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 8 | 8 |
| Runway Length | 2900 | 2900 |
| Runway Width | 50 | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |