Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Portage County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ravenna, Ohio 44266
Wednesday, November 24, 1993 18:02 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During the takeoff climb in instrument meteorological conditions at night, the pilot became spatially disoriented. Prior to takeoff, and during the last flight prior to the accident, the pilot was made aware of an attitude indicator inaccuracy in the accident airplane. A witness to the accident stated that he heard the airplane's engine at high RPM then go to Low RPM. He stated he heard the engine do this a few times over the airport area. He stated that he saw the airplane come out of the cloud base and then bank into a 60-degree left turn. The airplane impacted trees and then a paint hangar before coming to rest on the ground. An IFR flight plan was filed for the cross country personal flight. Witness reports indicated the cloud base was anywhere between 200 to 700 feet above the ground around the time of the accident. Post accident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES IN THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND BECAME SPATIALLY DISORIENTED DURING THE TAKEOFF CLIMB. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LOW CEILING, NIGHT CONDITIONS, AND AN INACCURATE ATTITUDE INDICATOR.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/24/1993 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1802 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | RAVENNA |
| Event State | OHIO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 44266 |
| Event Date Year | 1993 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | PORTAGE COUNTY AIRPORT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 296 |
| 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 | 1197 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1750 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 280 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CAK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1228 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1000 |
| 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) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| 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) | 1936 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 24 1993 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 2 2002 9:04AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\ZUZL |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8467H |
| NTSB Number | BFO94FA017 |
| 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 | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28RT-201 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28RT-20 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-8218006 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| 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 | Oct 13 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 43 |
| Airframe Hours | 2876 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JOSEPH K. SPIERS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 207 8TH STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | HICKAM AFB |
| Aircraft Owner State | HI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96818 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB AERO CL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 5995 SKEEL AVENUE |
| Operator City | WPAFB |
| Operator State | OH |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 45433 |
| 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 | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KFFO |
| Destination City | WPAFB |
| Destination State | OH |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 19 2001 4:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 9 |
| Runway Length | 3500 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |