Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lamar, Mississippi 38642
Wednesday, January 8, 1992 17:59 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PLT RECEIVED TWO WEATHER BRIEFINGS FROM FAA FSS JUST PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. IN BOTH BRIEFINGS VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. THE ACFT WAS NOT IFR EQUIPPED. PLT DID NOT FILE A FLT PLAN. FLT DEPARTED AND WITNESSES OBSERVED IT ENTER CLOUDS AND DISAPPEAR. ONE AND A QUARTER HOURS LATER GROUND WITNESSES HEARD ACFT FLYING LOW BUT COULD NOT SEE IT DUE TO LOW CLOUDS AND DARKNESS. A SHORT TIME LATER THE ACFT WAS HEARD STRIKING TREES. POST CRSH EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRECRASH FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT STRUCTURE, FLT CONTROLS, OR ENGINE. AUTOPSY OF THE PILOT SHOWED NO EVIDENCE MEDICAL INCAPACITATION AND ALL TOXICOLOGY TESTS WERE NEGATIVE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT IN COMMANDS DEPARTURE INTO AND CONTINUED FLIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WHILE OPERATING UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES RESULTING IN AN INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH TREES AND THEN THE GROUND.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/8/1992
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1759
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City LAMAR
Event State MISSISSIPPI
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 38642
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 1
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1750 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 280
Weather Observation Facility ID MEM
Elevation of weather observation facility 331
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 38
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
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) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 170
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 1
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) 62
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45952
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 2:42PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N12WP
NTSB Number MIA92LA057
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name WALTER R. PENNEY
Aircraft Model VARI-EZE
Aircraft Series Identifier VARI-EZE
Aircraft Serial Number 926
Certified Max Gross Weight 1050
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 30 1991 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 250
Airframe Hours 422
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WALTER R. PENNEY
Aircraft Owner Street Address 909 THORNBERRY LANE
Aircraft Owner City KIRKWOOD
Aircraft Owner State MO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 63122
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name DENNIS W. OWENS
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 225 NORTHWOOD DRIVE
Operator City WEST MONROE
Operator State LA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 71291
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 1M8
Departure City HOPKINSVILLE
Departure State KY
Departure Country
Departure Time 1645
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MLU
Destination City MONROE
Destination State LA
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 --