Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Zolfo Springs, Florida 33890
Tuesady, October 31, 2000 14:06 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to a controller at Bartow Municipal Airport's Air Traffic Control Tower, the pilot had been in radio communications contact with the tower, and at 1404, he made a transmission stating, "Bartow Tower N8603E, 26 south my engine quit and I can see Wauchula Airport but I can't make it." According to the controller, the pilot further indicated that he was going to attempt a forced landing in an open field. The controller stated that he then declared an emergency for the pilot of N8603E, notifying Hardee County Emergency Services. At 1536,deputies with the Hardee County Sheriff's Office discovered the accident aircraft at the southern edge of the pasture, with about 0.5 miles of open, flat pasture behind the apparent touchdown point. The aircraft had incurred substantial damage, and pilot was fatally injured. There were no witnesses to the accident. During the landing rollout, the aircraft had impacted a tree with the left wing, and had continued on, impacting another tree at the propeller's spinner. After recovery from the pasture, the airframe, flight controls, and engine were given detailed examinations, and the engine was operated. No anomalies were found with the accident aircraft's airframe, flight controls, or engine.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, which resulted in the pilot executing a forced landing to an open field, and the aircraft subsequently impacting a tree during the landing rollout.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/31/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1406 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Zolfo Springs |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33890 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 272735N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0814846W |
| 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 | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BOW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 128 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 26 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1000 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| 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) | 11753 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Hardee County Sheriff's Office |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 31 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1635 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 3 2002 12:16PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8603E |
| NTSB Number | MIA01FA021 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| 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 | 28-7690179 |
| 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 | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 29 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 2137.4 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Robert E. McFadden |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 209 Laurel Oak Drive |
| Aircraft Owner City | WinterHaven |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33880 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | BOW |
| Departure City | Bartow |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1349 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FD06 |
| Destination City | Wauchula |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 30 2002 2:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |