Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101
Monday, April 11, 1988 15:23 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

PILOT CALLED FSS ON WRONG FREQ. ANOTHER PILOT ANSWERED & PILOT REQ FSS FREQ. HE THEN CALLED FSS, RPTED ENG QUIT. WITNESS HEARD 'ENG STARTING' MOMENTARILY OVERHEAD, WATCHED ACFT PITCH OVER, DIVE TO GND & IMPACT WITH NO ATTEMPT TO FLARE FOR LNDING. PITCH TRIM WAS FULLY NOSE DOWN, THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF PROPELLER ROTATION UNDER POWER AT IMPACT, & NO REASON FOUND TO PREVENT ENG RUNNING. PIC BACKGROUND CHECK SHOWED TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION, CONTINUOUS USE OF VALIUM TO SLEEP SINCE 1979, NERVOUS BREAKDOWN OF FATHER, FEAR OF NERVOUS BREAKDOWN HIMSELF, SEVERE SHORTAGES IN GOVT GRAIN IN HIS WAREHOUSE, & 1 MILLION DOLLAR INSURANCE TO WAREHOUSE. WHEN GOVT AUDITOR ARRIVED UNEXPECTEDLY, PIC LEFT WAREHOUSE, RENTED ACFT, TOOK OFF HURRIEDLY, & SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED. WITNESSES REPORTED PILOT DID NOT PREFLT, DID NOT ACCOMPLISH A RUN-UP, AND TAXIIED AT HIGH SPEED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/11/1988
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1523
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City BOWLING GREEN
Event State KENTUCKY
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 42101
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 4
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 4
Degrees magnetic from airport 50
Airport Elevation 547
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1550 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 230
Weather Observation Facility ID BWG
Elevation of weather observation facility 547
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 4
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
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) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 50
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 18
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 1250
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) 683
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 11 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1830
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 36655
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 11:40AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N32911
NTSB Number ATL88FA138
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 PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-180
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-180
Aircraft Serial Number 287505102
Certified Max Gross Weight 2450
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 3
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jan 22 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 107
Airframe Hours 4100
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILLIAMS AVIATION, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 397
Aircraft Owner City SPRINGFIELD
Aircraft Owner State TN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 37172
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 M91
Departure City SPRINGFIELD
Departure State TN
Departure Country
Departure Time 1420
Departure Time Zone CDT
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 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 --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --