Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Summerland Key, Florida 33042
Tuesady, May 2, 1989 20:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE FLT (A MONROE COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL OPN) BEGAN AT ABOUT 1740 EDT TO CONDUCT LOW ALT SPRAYING. WHEN IT DID NOT RETURN, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. AT ABOUT 0245, THE ACFT WAS FOUND IN A REMOTE AREA ON WATER KEY NEAR THE TOWN OF SUMMERLAND KEY, FL. EVIDENCE AT THE ACDNT SCENE SUGGESTED THE ACFT STRUCK 40 FT HIGH MANGROVE TREES WITH THE LEFT WING AS THE PLTS WERE MAKING A PROCEDURE TURN TO START ANOTHER SPRAY RUN. NO PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR ENGS WAS FOUND. THERE WERE NO KNOWN WITNESSES, BUT THE ACDNT WAS ESTD TO HAVE OCCURRED AT ABOUT 2030 EDT. SUNSET WAS AT 1952 EDT. ABOUT 22 MI SW AT KEY WEST, THE 1750 WX WAS IN PART: 1500' SCAT, 10 MI VIS, WIND FROM 330 DEG AT 10 KTS. APRX 85 MI NNE, THE WIND WAS FROM 100 DEG AT 11 KTS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO ASSURE PROPER ALTITUDE AND CLEARANCE WAS MAINTAINED ABOVE THE TERRAIN AND TREES. THE TREES AND LIGHT CONDITION AT DUSK WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/2/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2030 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | SUMMERLAND KEY |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33042 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| 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 | 1800 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 20 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TMB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 7 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 85 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| 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) | 1100 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 423 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 3 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 415 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 38151 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:41PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N28889 |
| NTSB Number | MIA89GA144 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | DOUGLAS |
| Aircraft Model | C-47 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | C-47 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 20520 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 26200 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 3 |
| Airframe Hours | 10317 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MONROE CO.MOSQUITO CTROL.DIST. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | JR. COLLEGE ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | KEY WEST |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33040 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MTH |
| Departure City | MARATHON |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1740 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| 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 | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 22 2001 3:26PM |
| 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 | -- |