Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Dry Creek, Louisiana 70637
Wednesday, December 6, 2000 12:30 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-instrument rated private pilot obtained a weather briefing for a planned cross-country flight at 9,500 feet in his amateur-built airplane. The weather briefing was inadequate because it was void of a route synopsis, radar or satellite data, and it contained limited current weather conditions and area forecasts for the route of flight. However, the weather briefing did include information concerning AIRMETS for instrument flight and icing conditions. A weather study revealed that instrument meteorological conditions and marginal visual meteorological conditions existed in the accident area around the time of the accident. Icing conditions also existed between 8,000 and 12,000 feet. The airplane was located along a creek bank in a heavily wooded area. It was noted that none of the trees surrounding the accident area appeared to have any impact damage.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's VFR flight into IMC while in cruise, which resulted in his loss of control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation. Contributing factors were the clouds, and icing weather conditions, and the inadequate weather briefing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/6/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1230 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | DRY CREEK |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 70637 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | Partial - limited by briefer |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1255 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 340 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | POE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 328 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 45 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 45 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10666 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 7 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1330 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 9 2001 3:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6204D |
| NTSB Number | FTW01LA032 |
| 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 | Smith |
| Aircraft Model | TEAM TANGO 2 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | TEAM TANGO |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TT006 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1850 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| 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 | Oct 13 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 40 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JAMES A. SMITH JR. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4010 GREYSTONE DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | AUSTIN |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78731 |
| 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 | GTU |
| Departure City | GEORGTOWN |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1135 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | GNV |
| Destination City | GAINESVILLE |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 23 2001 4:00AM |
| 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 | -- |