Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Mechanicsville, Virginia 23111
Saturday, October 9, 1993 19:00 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

PRIOR TO THE END OF CIVIL TWILIGHT, A WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE 'MAKE TWO OR THREE FLOATING PERFECT TURNS THAT APPEARED DELIBERATE BUT A BIT FASTER THAN NORMAL.' HE SAID HE LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT BELOW THE TREELINE, BUT DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING TO INDICATE THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. REPORTEDLY, THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING, & THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN AN OPEN FIELD, WHILE DESCENDING. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION. TOXICOLOGY TESTS REVEALED THE SEDATIVE TEMAZEPAM (0.213 UG/ML) IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD & OXAZEPAM (1.425 UG/ML) IN HIS URINE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO CORRECT THE DESCENT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE LIGHT CONDITIONS AT DUSK, IMPAIRMENT OF THE PILOT FROM USE OF A MEDICATION (PRESCRIPTION DRUG), AND POSSIBLE LACK OF VISUAL QUES (PILOT'S VISUAL PERCEPTION).

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/9/1993
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1900
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City MECHANICSVILLE
Event State VIRGINIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 23111
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 10
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 1900 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 200
Weather Observation Facility ID RIC
Elevation of weather observation facility 168
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 13
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Dusk
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) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 170
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) 29
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) 2019
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 13 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1110
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:43PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7020J
NTSB Number NYC94LA008
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 FEATHERSTON
Aircraft Model TITAN TORNADO
Aircraft Series Identifier TITAN TORN
Aircraft Serial Number TT-004
Certified Max Gross Weight --
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 No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RICHARD A. WOLTERS
Aircraft Owner Street Address RT # 1, BOX 133
Aircraft Owner City HANOVER
Aircraft Owner State VA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 23069
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? No
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
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 --