Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Covington, Georgia 30209
Friday, December 10, 1993 18:40 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS RETURNING TO HIS HOME BASE ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. NIGHT, IMC PREVAILED. SEVERAL MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, HE INFORMED ATC THAT HIS INSTRUMENT GYRO HAD FAILED. HE LATER REPORTED THAT HIS INSTRUMENTS WERE WORKING; HOWEVER, THERE WAS A 'LIGHT ON'. HE THEN REPORTED THAT HE WAS 'IN TROUBLE'. ATC OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT IN A RAPID DESCENT PRIOR TO A LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED WOODED TERRAIN IN A STEEP, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE VACUUM SYSTEM REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE DRIVEN VACUUM PUMP HAD FAILED DUE TO OIL INGESTION. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT AN ENGINE OIL LEAK WAS REPAIRED IN JUNE 1993, AND THE ORIGIN OF THE LEAK WAS THE ENGINE ACCESSORY DRIVE SEAL, WHERE THE VACUUM PUMP ATTACHES TO THE ENGINE. THE FAILED PUMP WAS INSTALLED AS NEW ABOUT A WEEK PRIOR TO THE OIL LEAK REPAIR. THE PUMP THAT WAS REMOVED IN JUNE 1993, ALSO FAILED DUE TO OIL INGESTION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

SPATIAL DISORIENTATION EXPERIENCED BY THE PILOT, RESULTING IN HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS WERE THE TOTAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE DRIVEN VACUUM PUMP, AND THE NIGHT, CLOUD CONDITIONS PREVAILING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/10/1993
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1840
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City COVINGTON
Event State GEORGIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 30209
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 12
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 1850 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 295
Weather Observation Facility ID ATL
Elevation of weather observation facility 1026
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 32
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
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) 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) 1920
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 10 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1940
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:47PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8340Y
NTSB Number ATL94FA029
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion Unknown
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-32R-301T
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32R-301
Aircraft Serial Number 32R-8129042
Certified Max Gross Weight 3600
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 7
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name EDWARDS, THOMAS E.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 8270 JETT FERRY ROAD
Aircraft Owner City ATLANTA
Aircraft Owner State GA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 30350
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name EDWARDS, THOMAS E.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 8270 JETT FERRY ROAD
Operator City ATLANTA
Operator State GA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 30350
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 VRB
Departure City VERO BEACH
Departure State FL
Departure Country
Departure Time 1553
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PDK
Destination City ATLANTA
Destination State GA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
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 --