Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Paw Paw, Michigan 49079
Friday, August 13, 1999 10:46 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-instrument rated pilot contacted the Green Bay AFSS at 0117 EST on August 13 and again at 0614 for a weather brief. Both weather briefers reported there was an Airmet for IFR conditions and the VFR flight was not recommended. At 0835 the pilot filed a VFR flight plan. The weather briefer reported that VFR flight was not recommended. Witnesses reported hearing an airplane in the clouds with its engine 'screaming,' and the 'throttle full open.' They reported the wing was separated from the airplane when the airplane came out of the clouds. The right wing, stabilator, and rudder were located within 0.5 miles of the main wreckage site. The inspection of the airplane revealed no pre-existent anomalies to the engine or airframe and all spar fracture surfaces were observed to be granular. The pilot had a total of about 248 flight hours; 81 hours in make and model. The pilot had flown 2.5 hours in the last six months. The pilot had logged no actual instrument flight time, and had a total of one hour of simulated instrument flight. The cloud bases were approximately 1,300 feet agl. A PIPEP reported that cloud tops near Kalamazoo (AZO), located 16 nm to the east, were at 7,000 feet msl about 12 minutes prior to the accident. NTAP data indicated the airplane's altitude was approximately 4,800 feet msl before it was lost to radar.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot flew into known adverse weather, the pilot's lack of total instrument flight experience, and the pilot exceeded the design limits of the airplane. Factors included the pilot's total lack of experience in the type of operation and the pilot's overconfidence in his personal abilities.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/13/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1046 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | PAW PAW |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49079 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1053 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 75 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AZO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 874 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 18 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1300 |
| 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) | 9 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1383 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 13 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1442 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 4 2001 7:06AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N281PF |
| NTSB Number | CHI99FA290 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-181 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-181 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-8190156 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 5 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 2613 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KTC -10, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 487 LONGFELLOW AVE. |
| Aircraft Owner City | WORTHINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 43085 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | NATIONAL FLYERS ASSOCIATION |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2127 TRIAD COURT |
| Operator City | COLUMBUS |
| Operator State | OH |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 43235 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FLD |
| Departure City | FOND DU LAC |
| Departure State | WI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 952 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | OSU |
| Destination City | COLUMBUS |
| Destination State | OH |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 4 2001 7:06AM |
| 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 | -- |