Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Blue Grass Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lexington, Kentucky 40501
Wednesday, August 13, 1997 22:50 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Approximately 4 to 5 miles from the destination airport, and while conducting an ILS approach at night to runway 04, the pilot made visual contact with the airport, the runway lights, and the visual approach slope indicator. The approach was continued visually. Over the approach lights the airplane encountered heavy rain. The copilot observed the airplane was low on both the VASI and the airplane's HSI. The pilot applied power and initiated a go-around. The airplane landed hard on a grass bank, about 13 feet short of runway 4. Weather 9 minutes before the accident included winds from 310 degrees at 6 knots, with a visibility of 8 miles, light rain and mist. Weather 4 minutes after accident included winds from 310 degrees at 8 knots, with a visibility of 2 1/2 miles and heavy rain. The approach end of the runway was about 34 feet lower than the highest point of the runway, about 4,500 feet from the approach end. The Aeronautical Information Manual stated either upsloping runways, or rain on the windscreens, could create illusions that an aircraft was higher than actual altitude.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot misjudged distance and altitude to the runway after transition from an instrument approach to a visual approach. Factors related to the accident were the rain, and uphill runway conditions at a dark night.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/13/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2250 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | LEXINGTON |
| Event State | KENTUCKY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 40501 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | BLUE GRASS AIRPORT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LEX |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 980 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2241 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LEX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 980 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 8 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2134 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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) | 1855 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 14 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 10 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N227R |
| NTSB Number | NYC97LA165 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Dassault |
| Aircraft Model | DA-20 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | DA-20 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 227 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 28660 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 1 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 808 |
| Airframe Hours | 25000 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RELIANT AIRLINES INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | BOX 827 WILLOW RUN AIRPORT |
| Aircraft Owner City | YPSILANTI |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 48198 |
| 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 | DKAA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | OKC |
| Departure City | OKLAHOMA CITY |
| Departure State | OK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2010 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | LEX |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 4 |
| Runway Length | 7002 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |