Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sebring, Florida 33872
Friday, September 19, 1997 19:31 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight was operating in an area of isolated thunderstorms. While en route at 6,000 feet, the pilot was cleared to descend to 5,000 feet. He acknowledged the clearance, then there was no further radio contact with the pilot. Shortly thereafter, radar contact was lost. Witnesses heard the aircraft descending rapidly, then it crash into a lake. Also, witnesses reported that rain was falling hard, and the wind was blowing hard over the lake at the time of the crash. Recovery of a large portion of the aircraft from the lake showed all components of the aircraft necessary for flight were on the aircraft at impact. There was evidence that the aircraft impacted in a right wing and nose low attitude. The propeller had damage consistent with rotation at the time of the accident. The pilot had received his instrument rating about 48 days before the accident. He had accumulated about 25 hours of actual instrument flight time and 50 hours of simulated instrument flight time.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
continued flight by the pilot into adverse weather conditions, and his failure to maintain aircraft control, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent until impact in a lake. The adverse weather condition (thunderstorm) was a related factor.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/19/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1931 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | SEBRING |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33872 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| 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 | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1853 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 335 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GIF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 46 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 40 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1400 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1475 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 19 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2030 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2562V |
| NTSB Number | MIA97FA249 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 177RG |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 177RG |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 177RG0616 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2800 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 2 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 65 |
| Airframe Hours | 6884 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HANSEL F. BATEMAN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3118 CLAY BORNE ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | DOTHAN |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 36303 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ROBERT T. BICKEL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 15328 DUCKWORTH ROAD |
| Operator City | GULFPORT |
| Operator State | MS |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 39503 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MCO |
| Departure City | ORLANDO |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1856 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MTH |
| Destination City | MARATHON |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent - uncontrolled |
| 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 | -- |