Guntersville Muni. Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Guntersville, Alabama 35976
Sunday, November 8, 1992 16:00 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AFTER LIFT OFF FROM THE RUNWAY, AT ABOUT SIX TO EIGHT FEET, THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED & THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE PITCHED DOWN. THE AIRPLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH A SIDE STICK CONTROLLER & A MANUALLY ACTUATED LANDING GEAR. THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE IS LOCATED FORWARD OF THE PILOT IN THE CENTER OF THE FLOOR, BETWEEN THE PILOT'S LEGS, & IS PULLED AFT TO RETRACT THE GEAR. THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE RUNWAY WHICH SEPARATED THE OIL COOLER SCOOP. THE PILOT THEN ENTERED A RIGHT HAND TRAFFIC PATTERN. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, AS THE AIRPLANE WAS TURNED FROM THE BASE TO FINAL LEG IT STALLED ABRUPTLY, ROLLED LEFT MORE THAN ONCE, AND BEGAN A VERTICAL DIVE TO IMPACT. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED FIRE DAMAGE AND CONTINUITY OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. THE PILOT'S HANDBOOK INDICATES THAT AN ACCELERATED STALL WILL RESULT IN A LEFT ROLL. IT ALSO STATES THAT A STALL BUFFET WILL OCCUR ABOUT 72 MPH. THE LOG BOOK FOR N84EJ NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD A CLEAN STALL SPEED OF 80 MPH, & A STALL SPEED OF 85 MPH IN A 60 DEGREE ONE 'G' RIGHT TURN.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT STALL OF THE AIRPLANE, DURING THE BASE TO FINAL TURN, AT TOO LOW AN ALTITUDE TO EFFECT RECOVERY. FACTORS WERE THE IMPROPER LIFT OFF, WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE RE CONTACTING THE RUNWAY AFTER LIFT OFF, AND SERVED TO DISTRACT THE PILOT DURING THE TURN TO THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/8/1992
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1600
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City GUNTERSVILLE
Event State ALABAMA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 35976
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 11
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport GUNTERSVILLE MUNI.
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 8A1
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 230
Airport Elevation 610
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1450 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 120
Weather Observation Facility ID HSV
Elevation of weather observation facility 630
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 30
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 0
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 150
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 300
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) 800
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 8 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1700
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 48281
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:26PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N84EJ
NTSB Number ATL93LA023
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 Bede Aircraft
Aircraft Model BD-5B
Aircraft Series Identifier BD-5B
Aircraft Serial Number BD5-1939
Certified Max Gross Weight 710
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 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 1 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 41
Airframe Hours 111
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JOHNSON, EDWARD H., JR.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1939 CALVARY HILL COURT
Aircraft Owner City MARIETTA
Aircraft Owner State GA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 30060
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JOHNSON, EDWARD H., JR.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 1939 CALVARY HILL COURT
Operator City MARIETTA
Operator State GA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 30060
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 8A1
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1600
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code VPC
Destination City CARTERSVILLE
Destination State GA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Oct 10 2002 3:51PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 2
Runway Length 3360
Runway Width 95
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --