Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Elkhart Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Elkhart, Indiana 46515
Saturday, March 7, 1992 20:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT INTERCEPTED THE OUTER MARKER AND STARTED THE DESCENT FOR THE ILS RWY 27 APPROACH. THE PILOT STATED HE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. DUE TO FOG AND EXTERNAL LIGHT, HE STATED, HE MOMENTARILY LOST SIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. UPON LOOKING BACK A THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, HE NOTED HE WAS TOO LOW. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE STUCK IN THE TREE TOPS AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE RESCUED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THIS AS THE FIRST ACTUAL IFR FLIGHT MADE BY THE PILOT SINCE OBTAINING HIS IFR CERTIFICATE ONE MONTH PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
PROPER GLIDEPATH WAS NOT MAINTAINED AND MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE WAS NOT MAINTAINED BY THE PILOT RESULTING IN COLLISION WITH TREES. FACTORS RELATE TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN TYPE OF OPERATION AND OVER CONFIDENCE IN PERSONAL ABILITY.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/7/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 2000 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | ELKHART |
| Event State | INDIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 46515 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | ELKHART |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | EKM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1945 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EKM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 778 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 300 |
| 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) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| 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 | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 76 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45958 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 2:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N105A |
| NTSB Number | CHI92LA106 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SOCATA |
| Aircraft Model | TB-10 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | TB-10 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 590 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2535 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 2 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | COPPERFIELD ACFT INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2303 PALMLEAF CT |
| Aircraft Owner City | WORTHINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 43235 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CENTRAL SKYPORT AVIATION |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 4700 E. FIFTH AVE |
| Operator City | COLUMBUS |
| Operator State | OH |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 43219 |
| 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 | MDW |
| Departure City | CHICAGO |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| 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 | -- |