Huntsville Madison Co Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Huntsville, Alabama 35806
Sunday, January 3, 1988 16:35 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT HAD LANDED AT NAPLES, FL ON DEC 26 FOR A VACATION WITH HIS FAMILY. REPORTEDLY, THE FUEL TANKS WERE TOPPED AT THAT TIME. ON JAN 3 HE FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM NAPLES TO NASHVILLE, TN. HE DID NOT VISUALLY CK THE FUEL IN THE TANKS. NEAR COLUMBUS, GA, HE CHANGED DESTINATIONS TO HUNTSVILLE FOR FUEL. NEAR ANNISTON, HE REQ WEATHER AND FUEL AVAILABILITY INFO. HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO HUNTSVILLE. THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES AND THE GROUND ABOUT ONE MILE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THREE OCCUPANTS RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND TWO RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. ONLY TRACES OF FUEL WERE FOUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/3/1988
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1635
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City HUNTSVILLE
Event State ALABAMA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 35806
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport HUNTSVILLE MADISON CO
Event Location Nearest Airport ID HSV
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 10
Degrees magnetic from airport 180
Airport Elevation 630
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1636 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 360
Weather Observation Facility ID HSV
Elevation of weather observation facility 630
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 400
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) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 4
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 80
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 1000
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 3
Injury Total All 5
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 219
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 3 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1840
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35837
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6438W
NTSB Number ATL88FA073
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model P210N
Aircraft Series Identifier P210N
Aircraft Serial Number P210N-00779
Certified Max Gross Weight 4000
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 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 15 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 162
Airframe Hours 1445
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILLIAM A. SNEED
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4365 CHICKERING LANE
Aircraft Owner City NASHVILLE
Aircraft Owner State TN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 37215
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 APF
Departure City NAPLES
Departure State FL
Departure Country
Departure Time 1351
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code HSV
Destination City NASHVILLE
Destination State TN
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 36
Runway Length 8000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --