Lafayette Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lafayette, Tennessee 37083
Saturday, January 19, 1991 17:37 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING AN IFR FLT AT NIGHT, THE PLT ENCOUNTERED LIGHT RIME ICING CONDITIONS AND WAS CLEARED TO DSCND FROM 7000 FT TO 5000 FT MSL. ABOUT 14 MIN LATER, HE RPRTD THAT AN ENG POWER LOSS HAD OCCURRED AND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. WHILE BEING VECTORED TO A NEARBY ARPT, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A 112 FT HAM RADIO TOWER, ABOUT 60 FT AGL, THEN CRASHED. WITNESSES RPRTD THE ENG WAS AT IDLE POWER DURING IMPACT. DURING AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ACDNT, NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE, FUEL CONTAMINATION OR VERIFICATION OF STRUCTURAL ICE WAS FOUND. THE HAM RADIO TOWER WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN IDENTIFICATION LIGHT, NOR WAS THERE A REQUIREMENT FOR IT TO BE LIGHTED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, DARKNESS, AND RADIO TOWER WERE RELATED FACTORS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/19/1991
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1737
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City LAFAYETTE
Event State TENNESSEE
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 37083
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport LAFAYETTE MUNI
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 3M7
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 970
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1746 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 230
Weather Observation Facility ID BNA
Elevation of weather observation facility 598
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 39
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 300
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) 2
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 8
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 8
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 170
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.8
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 465
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 19 1991 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1830
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 44179
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:38AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N99RN
NTSB Number ATL91FA041
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 BEECH
Aircraft Model K35
Aircraft Series Identifier K35
Aircraft Serial Number
Certified Max Gross Weight 2950
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 Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Oct 22 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 10
Airframe Hours 4
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LAUREL LEASING, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 727 N. HARLEM AVE.
Aircraft Owner City OAK PARK
Aircraft Owner State IL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 60302
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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 PWK
Departure City WHEELING
Departure State IL
Departure Country
Departure Time 1501
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code CHA
Destination City CHATTANOOGA
Destination State TN
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 --