Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Shelbyville, Indiana 46176
Tuesady, June 10, 1997 13:15 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A witness reported that the engine sounded fine and the airplane appeared to be flying normally when it departed the airport at 1300 CDT. At 1815, the airplane wreckage was found in a soybean field about 1/2 mile from the pilot's grass airstrip. No one witnessed the accident. This was a wooden kit airplane that the pilot had built; he received a Special Airworthiness Certificate on April 24, 1997. The pilot had flown the airplane about five hours. The airplane's wooden and fabric covered fuselage was destroyed by fire. There were five prop strikes about 12 inches apart leading to the sheared off propeller blades and engine. The aircraft was found in the inverted position about eight feet from the first propeller strike. The landing gear was extended. Examination of the engine revealed no anomalies, and the flight controls had continuity.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the cause of the accident is undetermined.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/10/1997
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1315
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City SHELBYVILLE
Event State INDIANA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 46176
Event Date Year 1997
Event Date Month 6
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 Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1856 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 295
Weather Observation Facility ID IND
Elevation of weather observation facility 797
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 25
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 23000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
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) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 150
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
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 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) 623
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 11 1997 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1027
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 12:20PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N81728
NTSB Number CHI97LA163
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 Siefert
Aircraft Model 5151RG
Aircraft Series Identifier 5151RG
Aircraft Serial Number WS2
Certified Max Gross Weight 885
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Apr 24 1997 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 5
Airframe Hours 5
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WALTER E. SIEFERT
Aircraft Owner Street Address R. R. #5
Aircraft Owner City SHELBYVILLE
Aircraft Owner State IN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 46176
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 SHB
Departure City
Departure State IN
Departure Country
Departure Time 1300
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City GRASS AIRSTRIP
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Unknown
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 --