Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Hot Springs Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hot Springs, Arkansas 71913
Friday, September 1, 2000 15:38 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
About 20 minutes into the cross-country flight, the pilot observed several lightning strikes ahead of his flight path. He turned 180 degrees to return to his departure point, and after about 5 minutes, he observed a storm developing in his flight path. He then decided to fly south toward the closest airport. Upon reaching the airport, he determined the winds to be light and variable out of the west. On final approach, just before touchdown on runway 23, 'wind started to buffet the aircraft.' Full aileron deflection was used to keep the right wing down after touchdown. The airplane then drifted off the runway and into the grass. As this was occurring, the pilot started to apply 'a little power' to gain more rudder control when 'a large gust of wind hit the aircraft causing the right wing to [go] completely over, striking the surface.' Subsequently, the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar, both wing struts, and the rudder. The wind, 16 minutes after the accident, was from 260 degrees at 16 knots with gusts to 26 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain control during landing. A factor was the wind gusts.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/1/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1538 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | HOT SPRINGS |
| Event State | ARKANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 71913 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | HOT SPRINGS MUNI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HOT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 540 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by briefer |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1454 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HOT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 503 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 15000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 11000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 12 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 16 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 26 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 586 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA OPERATIONS CENTER |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 1 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1801 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 21 2001 4:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N83866 |
| NTSB Number | FTW00LA247 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Aeronca |
| Aircraft Model | BL7-AC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | BL7-AC |
| Aircraft Serial Number | |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1220 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 2 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 8 |
| Airframe Hours | 5466 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KEITH R. ECKELMAN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 119 NE 78TH AVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | PORTLAND |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97213 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | M03 |
| Departure City | CONWAY |
| Departure State | AR |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1445 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | HOT |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 21 2001 4:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 23 |
| Runway Length | 6595 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |