Batten Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Troy, North Carolina 27371
Sunday, January 7, 1990 16:00 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A NON-RATED PERSON (WITH NO FAA MEDICAL OR PLT CERTIFICATE) ELECTED TO FLY THE HOME-BUILT ACFT. REPORTEDLY, THE ENG BEGAN TO 'MISFIRE' WHEN THE ACFT WAS OVER THE ARPT AT ABOUT 1000' AGL. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO LAND; HOWEVER, THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED IN A STEEP DSCNT NEAR THE 1600' RWY. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND. THE TEMP & DEW POINT WERE 44 & 36 DEG, RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO CARB ICING CHARTS, CONDITIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN CONDUCIVE TO SERIOUS CARB ICING. NO RECORD WAS FOUND THAT THE PLT HAD RCVD PLT TRAINING, THOUGH HE HAD REPORTEDLY FLOWN ULTRALIGHT CRAFT. TOXICOLOGY CHECKS SHOWED HE HAD A (BLOOD)-ALCOHOL LVL OF 0.07O%, & A URINE-ALCOHOL LVL OF 0.145% (145 MG/DL).

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE NON-RATED PILOT, DUE TO IMPAIRMENT FROM CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL, HIS LACK OF TRAINING/QUALIFICATION, HIS IMPROPER USE OF THE ENGINE CONTROLS WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FROM PROBABLE CARBURETOR ICE, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AND SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/7/1990
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1600
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City TROY
Event State NORTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 27371
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport BATTEN
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 620
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1600 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 360
Weather Observation Facility ID GSO
Elevation of weather observation facility 926
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 50
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 7500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 7
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 620
Intensity of Precipitation Light
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 FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 727
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 8 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 800
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 41765
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:43PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N91089
NTSB Number ATL90DMG01
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name WALDRON
Aircraft Model FLYBABY
Aircraft Series Identifier FLYBABY
Aircraft Serial Number 75-5
Certified Max Gross Weight 1500
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 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LAWRENCE LEE LITTLEFIELD
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 1500
Aircraft Owner City CRESTVIEW
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 32536
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JAMES FRANKLIN MCINTYRE
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address ROUTE 2, BOX 15
Operator City TROY
Operator State NC
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 27371
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1600
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 Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 1600
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --