Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Alexander City, Alabama 35010
Monday, October 31, 1988 18:00 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ON 10/31/88, THE PLT OBTAINED WX INFO & FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FM VERO BEACH, FL, TO HUNTSVILLE, AL. AT APRX 1513 EST, HECTCD ATC & RPRTD CLIMBING THRU 1500' FOR 3000'. ABOUT 2.4 HRS LATER, HE RPRTD A LOSS OF ENG PWR. VECTORS WERE PROVIDED TOWARD AN ARPT, BUT RADAR CTC WAS LOST ABT 13 MI SOUTH OF ALEXANDER CITY, AL. ON 11/16/90, THE ACFT WAS FND WHERE IT HADSANK IN 65' OF WATER IN MARTIN LAKE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE ACDNT. THE ENG WAS CHECKED ON A TEST STAND & IT OPERATED WITH THE ORIGINAL ACCESSORIES INSTALLED. PSNL AT THE DEP ARPT INDCD THE ACFT WOULD NORMALLY HAVE BEEN SVCD WITH THE NORMAL RAMP CAPACITY OF 50 GAL OF FUEL. FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS ESTD TO HAVE BEEN ABOUT 10.5 GAL/HR; HOWEVER, REFUELING RECORDS DID NOT VERIFY WHEN THE ACFT WAS LAST REFUELED. ALSO, THE WX COND WAS RPRTD TO HAVE BEEN CONDUCIVE TO CARB ICING.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/31/1988
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1800
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City ALEXANDER CITY
Event State ALABAMA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 35010
Event Date Year 1988
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 --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1754 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 200
Weather Observation Facility ID MGM
Elevation of weather observation facility 221
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 30
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 1400
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) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 90
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2086
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 31 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2000
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38603
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8211P
NTSB Number ATL89FA222
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-181
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-181
Aircraft Serial Number 28-8090300
Certified Max Gross Weight 2550
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 4
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 0
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name SUN AVIATION
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address VERO BEACH AIRPORT
Operator City VERO BEACH
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 32962
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 VRB
Departure City VERO BEACH
Departure State FL
Departure Country
Departure Time 1610
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code HSV
Destination City HUNTSVILLE
Destination State AL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
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 --