Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Mt. Gilead, Ohio 43338
Saturday, October 31, 1992 17:53 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THE CONTROL TOWER AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AND IN A DESCENT FROM FIVE THOUSAND FEET TO TWO THOUSAND FEET IN PREPARATION FOR LANDING. SEVEN MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED, ON RADAR, FLYING AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT WHEN RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. GROUND WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AT A LOW ALTITUDE OVER A WOODED AREA WHEN THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE. A TOXICOLOGY ON THE PILOT REVEALED CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD. EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT HEATER/EXHAUST MUFFLER, THE SOURCE OF HEAT TO THE CABIN, SHOWED IT HAD DETERIORATED AND HAD THREE CRACKS. TWO CRACKS WHERE FOUND ON THE MUFFLER TUBE AND ONE ON THE FORWARD END PLATE. THE THREE CRACKS WERE INTERGRANULAR AND SHOWED SOME OXIDATION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

PILOT INCAPACITATION DUE TO CARBON MONOXIDE GAS AS A RESULT OF CRACKS IN THE HEATER MUFFLER. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PROGRESSIVE DETERIORATION OF THE LEFT HEATER MUFFLER.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/31/1992
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1753
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City MT. GILEAD
Event State OHIO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 43338
Event Date Year 1992
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 11
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 360
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 823
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 31 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1800
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 48322
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:24PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6402S
NTSB Number NYC93LA031
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 150H
Aircraft Series Identifier 150H
Aircraft Serial Number 15067202
Certified Max Gross Weight 1600
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 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Oct 8 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 15
Airframe Hours 6108
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GEORGE WHARTON
Aircraft Owner Street Address POB 367
Aircraft Owner City AMANDA
Aircraft Owner State OH
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 43102
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name GEORGE WHARTON
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address POB 367
Operator City AMANDA
Operator State OH
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 43102
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code I78
Departure City MARYSVILLE
Departure State OH
Departure Country
Departure Time 1645
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code I78
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 10:35AM
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 --