Lumberton Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Wilmington, Ohio 45177
Wednesday, December 25, 1991 20:48 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT WAS ON A LOCAL NIGHT FLIGHT TO SEE THE XMAS LIGHTS OF DAYTON FROM THE AIR. A PAX STATED THAT WHEN SHE THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO LAND THE ACFT HIT TREES. THERE WAS NO UNUSUAL ENGINE SOUND, OR ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM OTHER FLIGHTS. THE ACCIDENT OCCURED ABOUT 1 MI FROM THE AIRPORT. THE LEFT SEAT PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT-RATED. THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT WAS THE ACFT OWNER, AND WAS INSTRUMENT RATED. THE PILOT OPERATING THE CONTROLS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT DETERMINED. THERE ARE NO FAA-APPROVED APPROACHES FOR THE ARPT; HOWEVER, THE OWNER HAD DESIGNED A LORAN-C APPROACH AND TWO R-NAV APPROACHES FOR PERSONAL USE. THE ACTIVE WAYPOINT FOUND IN THE ACFT'S LORAN UNIT COINCIDED WITH THE ARPT. THE OWNER WAS DESCRIBED AS A PERSON WHO ' WAS PROUD OF, AND WOULD BE EAGER TO SHOW OTHER PILOTS FLYING THE AIRPLANE, THE PROCEDURES FOR USE OF THE EQUIPMENT INSTALLED.'

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOTS TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLEARANCE. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE NIGHT CONDITIONS, REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO FOG, AND THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE PILOTS DIVERTED THEIR ATTENTION TO THE OPERATION OF THE LORAN EQUIPMENT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/25/1991
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 2048
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City WILMINGTON
Event State OHIO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 45177
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport LUMBERTON
Event Location Nearest Airport ID OH77
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 330
Airport Elevation 1008
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2050 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 324
Weather Observation Facility ID DAY
Elevation of weather observation facility 1009
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 26
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Partial Obscuration
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
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) -3
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 130
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) --
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 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 5
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1861
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 25 1991 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2317
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45746
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 10:54AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N236JS
NTSB Number NYC92FA050
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model A36
Aircraft Series Identifier A36
Aircraft Serial Number E-2496
Certified Max Gross Weight 3650
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 5
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Feb 2 1991 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 116
Airframe Hours 287
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JOHN E. SCHWELLER
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7006 US ROUTE 68 NORTH
Aircraft Owner City WILMINGTON
Aircraft Owner State OH
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 45177
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JOHN E. SCHWELLER
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 7006 US ROUTE 68 NORTH
Operator City WILMINGTON
Operator State OH
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 45177
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 2030
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
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 --