Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Vernon, Alabama 35592
Saturday, June 17, 1989 17:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL WITH THE ENGINE SPUTTERING, MISSING. IT THEN CRASHED INVERTED IN A LARGE OPEN FIELD ABOUT 100 FT EAST OF A LINE OF TREES; ONE TREE HAD SEVERAL BRANCHES BROKEN NEAR THE TOP. ENG TEST/TEARDOWN REVEALED NO COMPRESSION #6 CYL; BOTTOM SPARK PLUG CENTER ELECTRODE MISSING; ELECTRODE DEBRIS IN EXHAUST VALVE SEAT/FACE. THE FAILED PLUG SHOWED EVIDENCE OF EXCESSIVE OPERATING TEMPERATURES AND PREIGNITION. LAST ANNUAL WAS 11/3/83, ABOUT 44 HRS PRIOR TO ACCIDENT. ALL PLUGS APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN RECENTLY CLEANED AND SERVICED; NONE OF THE REMAINING PLUGS EXHIBITED EVIDENCE OF DETONATION OR PREIGNITION. PILOT PERFORMED OWN MAINTENANCE AND ALSO REPORTEDLY MIXED OWN AUTO/AVIATION GASOLINE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
IMPROPER MAINTENANCE OF THE SPARK PLUGS BY THE PILOT/MECHANIC WHICH RESULTED IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO CLEAR TREES DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/17/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1730 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | VERNON |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35592 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| 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 | 1655 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 250 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CBM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 219 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 19 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 9 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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) | 1868 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 17 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2055 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40956 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7939U |
| NTSB Number | ATL89FA163 |
| 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 | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172F |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17251939 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | Nov 3 1983 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 44 |
| Airframe Hours | 2209 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ROBINSON, HURSKIN C. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | ROUTE 2, BOX 145 |
| Aircraft Owner City | VERNON |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 35592 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | M55 |
| Departure City | VERNON |
| Departure State | AL |
| 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 | 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 | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |