Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Holley, Florida 32548
Monday, March 13, 1989 23:24 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DRG A NGT X-COUNTRY FLT, THE PLT WAS RCVG VFR FLT FLWG FM EGLIN AFB APCH CTL. WHILE CRUISING AT 4500 FT, HE OBTAINED WX FOR THE AREA. HE WAS ADZD THAT ACCORDING TO 1 HR OLD OBSNS, WX AT EGLIN WAS 1700' SCT, & AT CRESTVIEW, THERE WAS A 3000'BKN CEILING. THE PLT ELECTED TO DSCND THRU 'THIS THIN LAYER' TO 1500' & WAS ADZD TO REMAIN VFR. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE RPRTD AT 1500', THEN WAS ADZD TO CTC PENSACOLA APCH CTL, SINCE HE WAS LEAVING EGLIN'S AIRSPACE. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT THERE WAS NO FURTHER RADIO CTC WITH THE ACFT. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED & THE ACFT WAS FND 5 DAYS LTR WHERE IT HAD CRASHED IN A REMOTE/UNLIGHTED AREA ON A BOMBING RANGE. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED IT HAD CRASHED IN A STEEP, NOSE DOWN, RGT WING LOW ATTITUDE. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PRBLM OF THE ACFT WAS FND, BUT IT WAS BADLY DMGD BY IMPACT & FIRE. ABT 22 MI WEST AT PENSACOLA, THE WX WAS 800' BKN, 1700' BKN, VIS 7 MI; ABT 17 MI EAST AT EGLIN, THE WX WAS PTLY OBSCD, 400' THIN SCT, 1500' THIN SCT, VIS 3 MI WITH FOG. NO RECORD WAS FND OF A PREFLT WX BRIEFING FOR THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

CONTINUED FLIGHT BY THE PLT INTO ADVERSE WX, FOLLOWED BY SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. LACK OF A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING, WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND LACK OF VISUAL CUES AT NIGHT WERE CONSIDERED CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/13/1989
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 2324
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City HOLLEY
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 32548
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 3
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2358 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 90
Weather Observation Facility ID VPS
Elevation of weather observation facility 85
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 16
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 17
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 230
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 1
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
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) 404
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 15 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1310
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38905
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:32PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Unknown
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5572W
NTSB Number MIA89FA108
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-160
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-160
Aircraft Serial Number 28-679
Certified Max Gross Weight 2200
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 10 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 171
Airframe Hours 4255
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name TIMITHY G. FOSTER
Aircraft Owner Street Address 9832 HEATHER DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City CANTONMENT
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 32533
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name DAVIS, DANIEL C.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 4629 PEBBLE CREEK DR.
Operator City PENSACOLA
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 32506
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 TLH
Departure City TALLAHASSEE
Departure State FL
Departure Country
Departure Time 2128
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PNS
Destination City PENSACOLA
Destination State FL
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 --