Jacksonville Int'l Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Jacksonville, Florida 32229
Thursday, March 2, 1989 21:27 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A VOR APRCH WAS ATTEMPTED AT THE ORIG DEST BUT A MISSED APRCH WAS MADE AT MINIMUMS. PLT DIVERTED TO JAX WHERE HE WAS CLEARED FOR AN ILS RWY 7 APRCH. THE ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH GLIDESLOPE OR MARKER BCN, BUT ATC PERSONNEL STATED PLT MADE IT APPEAR THAT HE WAS EQUIPPED FOR FULL ILS APRCH. XING ALT AT OM IS 1900 FT; FLT CROSSED OM AT 400-500 FT. AT ABOUT 4.5 MI FROM RWY, FLT CLIMBED TO 900 FT, THEN AT 3.5 MI, DESCENDED TO 600 FT. ATC ADVISED FLT OF RADAR-OBSERVED ALT EXCURSIONS DURING THE APRCH. THE PLT STATED THAT HE GOT ON THE LOCALIZER, TRACKED IT FOR AWHILE, THEN GOT OFF. HE WAS TRYING TO RECAPTURE THE LOCALIZER WHEN HE HIT THE TREES ABOUT 1 MI SHORT OF THE RWY. THE PLT'S BFR HAD EXPIRED 2 MOS PRIOR TO THE CRASH & REVIEW OF HIS LOGBOOK SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF COMPLIANCE WITH FAR 61.57, RECENT IFR EXPERIENCE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE ACFT OR COMPONENTS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

AN UNSTABILIZED INSTRUMENT APPROACH WHEREIN THE PILOT DESCENDED BELOW THE MDA. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED AN INADEQUATELY EQUIPPED ACFT AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/2/1989
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 2127
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City JACKSONVILLE
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 32229
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 JACKSONVILLE INT'L
Event Location Nearest Airport ID JAX
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 30
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2113 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 110
Weather Observation Facility ID JAX
Elevation of weather observation facility 30
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 2
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 300
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
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) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 30
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
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 Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 192
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 2 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1125
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38511
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:32PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3243B
NTSB Number MIA89LA097
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 PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-22-135
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-22-135
Aircraft Serial Number 22-2073
Certified Max Gross Weight 1950
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 Mar 15 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 240
Airframe Hours 2682
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name KENNETH J. PELZAR
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2523 TOWNSQUARE DR.
Aircraft Owner City JACKSONVILLE
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 32216
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code OGB
Departure City ORANGEBURG
Departure State SC
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code CRG
Destination City JACKSONVILLE
Destination State FL
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 7
Runway Length 8000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --