Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Summersville, West Virginia 26651
Sunday, November 8, 1992 6:20 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AS THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROACHING THE (FLIGHT PLANNED) DESTINATION AT NIGHT, THE PILOT INDICATED HE WOULD LAND FROM A VISUAL APPROACH. HE CANCELED HIS IFR FLIGHT PLAN ABOUT 5 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT AND BEGAN A DESCENT. RADAR DATA WAS LOST AS THE AIRPLANE PASSED SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT ON AN EAST SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING AND HAD DESCENDED TO ABOUT 3000 FT MSL. IT COLLIDED WITH RISING TERRAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 3000 FT, AFTER TRAVELING AN ADDITIONAL 3 1/2 MILES. THE CRASH SITE WAS ABOUT 8 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE WRECKAGE WAS STREWN OVER A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 512 FT THROUGH TREES ON A HEADING OF 122 DEGREES. A POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE FLAPS WERE FULLY RETRACTED AND THE GEAR WAS STOWED. NO AIRFRAME OR ENGINE ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. ALL OF THE PROPELLER BLADES EXHIBITED TORSIONAL DAMAGE. A PATHOLOGICAL EXAM OF THE PILOT DID NOT REVEAL ANY MEDICAL PROBLEM THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. LIGHT SNOW WAS FALLING AND LOW CLOUDS WERE IN THE AREA.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE ALTITUDE (OR CLEARANCE) FROM MOUNTAINOUS HILLY TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE DARKNESS, LOW CLOUDS, AND LIGHT SNOW.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/8/1992
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 620
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City SUMMERSVILLE
Event State WEST VIRGINIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 26651
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
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 Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 640 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 226
Weather Observation Facility ID BKW
Elevation of weather observation facility 2504
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 25
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 2900
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 900
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 320
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
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) 959
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 8 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1130
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 52054
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:26PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Unknown
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N711RG
NTSB Number BFO93FA003
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 310R
Aircraft Series Identifier 310R
Aircraft Serial Number 310R0184
Certified Max Gross Weight 5200
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 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Sep 1 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 50
Airframe Hours 3997
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RADER AVIATION INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 802 LINCOLN STREET
Aircraft Owner City SUMMERSVILLE
Aircraft Owner State WV
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 26651
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name RADER AVIATION INC.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 802 LINCOLN STREET
Operator City SUMMERSVILLE
Operator State WV
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 26651
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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) Positioning
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code HTS
Departure City HUNTINGTON
Departure State WV
Departure Country
Departure Time 551
Departure Time Zone EST
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 10:35AM
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 --