Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Pettigrew, Arkansas 72752
Saturday, July 1, 1989 7:15 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT MADE SVRL INQUIRES ABOUT THE WX ALONG HIS ROUTE FM ARKANSAS TO SOUTH DAKOTA. HE WAS ADVISED THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. FINALLY, HE RPRTD THE WX AT THE DEPARTURE POINT WAS VFR & HE INDCD HE WOULD CIRCUMNAVIGATE THE EN ROUTE WX. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED ABOUT 25 MI NW OF THE DEPARTURE ARPT. THE ACDNT SITE WAS IN THE VCNTY OF A BOX CANYON IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT AN ELEV OF 2100 FT. IMPACT OCCURRED IN A STEEP DSCNT. ON 7/11/89, THE ACFT WAS FOUND. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. ABT 40 MI WEST AT FT SMITH (ELEV 469'), THE 0621 CDT WX WAS IN PART: 700' SCATTERED, 4000 OVERCAST. CONVECTIVE SIGMETS 23C & 25C WARNED OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ALONG THE PROPOSED ROUTE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, HIS VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, HIGH TERRAIN, THE PILOT'S OVER CONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITY, AND HIS LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/1/1989
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 715
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City PETTIGREW
Event State ARKANSAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 72752
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 7
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 Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 600 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 275
Weather Observation Facility ID FSM
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 40
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
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) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 21
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 100
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) 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 6
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 6
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1351
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 7 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1000
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39538
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:52PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5304U
NTSB Number MKC89FA159
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model U206
Aircraft Series Identifier U206
Aircraft Serial Number 20605185
Certified Max Gross Weight 3500
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 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Oct 30 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 78
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DONALD D. JOHNSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address RT. 3, BOX 152A
Aircraft Owner City CLARKSVILLE
Aircraft Owner State AR
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 72830
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
Departure City CLARKSVILLE
Departure State AR
Departure Country
Departure Time 700
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code HSR
Destination City HOTSPRINGS
Destination State SD
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 --