Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lee Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Edgewater, Maryland 21037
Saturday, November 21, 1998 17:43 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While descending for a landing at night, the airplane struck trees initially before it impacted in Beard's Creek. There were several witnesses who heard an airplane over fly their homes at a low altitude, but they did not see the airplane. One of the witnesses reported that it was dark, and she heard an airplane engine sputtering, and a 'loud crackling sound' in what she stated sounded like an airplane hitting trees. Another witness said he saw an airplane flying just above the trees near to the airport. He felt that the airplane was 'extremely low.' Tree imprints were found on the leading edge of both wings. The airplane's left wingtip was found below the severed trees. Search efforts located the airplane, about 0300, the following morning in Beard's creek. The airplane came to rest inverted in about 18 feet of water, and 4 feet of mud about 1/4 mile off mile off the extended centerline of runway 30. The engine was test run and it operated satisfactory. Examination of the airplane did not disclose any evidence of mechanical malfunction. According to the pilot's log book there was no record to indicate that he had flown to this airport. Toxicological testing revealed the following drugs: Cimetidine detected in Urine; Sildenafil detected in Liver Fluid; Sildenafil Metabolite detected in Urine; 10 (ug/ml, ug/g) Theophylline detected in Urine.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from the trees. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's unfamiliarity with the geographic location and dark night conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/21/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1743 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | EDGEWATER |
| Event State | MARYLAND |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 21037 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | LEE AIRPORT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ANP |
| 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 | 30 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1754 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 340 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BWI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 146 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 16 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| 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) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| 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) | 1909 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 21 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1830 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 11:53AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N956DB |
| NTSB Number | IAD99FA020 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Burgess |
| Aircraft Model | RV-6 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | RV-6 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 21119 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1600 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILLIAM G KNIGHT |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 812 NE 6TH ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | DELRAY BEACH |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33483 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BQK |
| Departure City | BRUNSWICK |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ANP |
| Destination City | ANNAPOLIS |
| Destination State | MD |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| 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 | -- |