Branch Co Mem. Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Coldwater, Michigan 49036
Saturday, October 8, 1988 14:48 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT WAS IN LOCAL TRAFFIC PATTERN AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AGL. WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE ACFT ATTITUDE AS NOSE HIGH, AND THE AIRSPEED AS SLOW AS THE PILOT WAS TURNING DOWNWIND. WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE ENGINE NOISE AS LOUD. THE ACFT ROLLED INVERTED AND STRUCK THE GROUND IN AN APRX 60 DEGS NOSE LOW ATTITUDE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

A STALL WITH ENTRY INTO THE INCIPIENT STAGE OF A SPIN WITH INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE FOR RECOVERY.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/8/1988
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1448
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City COLDWATER
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 49036
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 BRANCH CO MEM.
Event Location Nearest Airport ID D96
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 959
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1450 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 52
Weather Observation Facility ID JXN
Elevation of weather observation facility 1000
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 34
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 5000
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) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 14
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
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 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 FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2485
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 8 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1525
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39644
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:13PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N131JT
NTSB Number CHI89DET01
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name VOLKSPLANE
Aircraft Model VP-1
Aircraft Series Identifier VP-1
Aircraft Serial Number 1902
Certified Max Gross Weight 750
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Oct 7 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 22
Airframe Hours 122
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JERRY M. TOMSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 540 E. LOCKWOOD RD.
Aircraft Owner City COLDWATER
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 49036
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code D96
Departure City COLDWATER
Departure State MI
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
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 24
Runway Length 4700
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --