Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Georgetown, South Carolina 29440
Thursday, October 25, 1990 19:00 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING DESCENT ON AN IFR FLIGHT, THE PILOT BECAME INCAPACTIATED. THE NON-RATED PASSENGER THEN MADE THE FOLLOWING TRANSMISSION: 'CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME?', FOLLOWED BY '... HE WENT TO SLEEP ON ME'. RADAR DATA INDICATES THAT N97PA THEN FLEW ERRATIC HEADINGS AND ALTITUDES UNTIL FINALLY TURNING TO A SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING, TOWARDS THE OCEAN. ATTEMPTS BY ATC TO DIRECT A TURN BACK TOWARDS LAND WERE TO NO AVAIL. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST 4 MILES FROM THE COASTLINE OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. THE COAST GUARD RECOVERED AN AIRPLANE SEAT AND TWO SECTIONS OF LANDING GEAR. POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION OF THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WAS NOT POSSIBLE. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED HIS CLASS II MEDICAL THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. A SEARCH OF HIS MEDICAL RECORD REVEALED A SLIGHTLY ABNORMAL ECG IN 1988 (ON APPLICATION FOR CLASS I MEDICAL). ALL SUBSEQUENT APPLICATIONS FOR FAA MEDICAL CERTIFICATES WERE FOR CLASS II CERTIFICATES, WHICH DO NOT REQUIRE ECG TESTING.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS DURING FLIGHT. THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/25/1990
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1900
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City GEORGETOWN
Event State SOUTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 29440
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 10
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1855 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID MYR
Elevation of weather observation facility 26
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 1400
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 310
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 13
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2096
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 25 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1900
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 43542
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 5:26PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Unknown
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N97PA
NTSB Number ATL91FA008
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Unknown
Aircraft Explosion Unknown
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model A36
Aircraft Series Identifier A36
Aircraft Serial Number E-2023
Certified Max Gross Weight 3600
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 --
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Feb 7 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 0
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AIR AND SEA SALES CORP., INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O BOX 1161
Aircraft Owner City PAWLEYS ISLAND
Aircraft Owner State SC
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 29585
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AIR AND SEA SALES CORPORATION
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address POST OFFICE BOX 1611
Operator City PAWLEYS ISLAND
Operator State SC
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 29585
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 GMU
Departure City GREENVILLE
Departure State SC
Departure Country
Departure Time 1738
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code GGE
Destination City GEORGETOWN
Destination State SC
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --