Rutherford County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Spindale, North Carolina 28160
Sunday, December 10, 1989 12:58 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AT 1246, DURING THE VOR APPROACH, THE PILOT ADVISED HE WAS GOING TO MAKE A 360 DEG TURN. AT 1250 HE ADVISED '...WE'RE GOT HER ALL SET UP.' AT 1256, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS '...HAVING A HELL OF A TIME...HERE'. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO TREES AND A SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE 4 MILES SE OF THE AIRPORT. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE CIRCLED THREE TIMES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THREE OF THE SEVEN OCCUPANTS OF THE HOUSE RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. BASIC WEATHER DATA ABOVE WAS REPORTED AT GREER, SC, 34 MILES SW. WITNESSES IN AREA OF ACCIDENT REPORTED LOW CEILING & FOG.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S IMPROPER IFR PROCEDURE WHICH RESULTED IN DESCENT BELOW THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE. CONTRIBUTINGFACTOR(S) WAS: THE FOG AND LOW CEILING.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/10/1989
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1258
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City SPINDALE
Event State NORTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 28160
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport RUTHERFORD COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 57A
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 1078
Weather Briefing Completeness Partial - limited by pilot
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1251 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 210
Weather Observation Facility ID GSP
Elevation of weather observation facility 972
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 34
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 900
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) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 3
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 220
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1617
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 10 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1715
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 40503
Date of most recent change to record Feb 21 2002 2:05PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5417C
NTSB Number ATL90FA038
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model T210N
Aircraft Series Identifier T210N
Aircraft Serial Number 21063746
Certified Max Gross Weight 4000
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 Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 0
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PHILIP R. RILEY
Aircraft Owner Street Address 6516 OLD BRANCH AVE.
Aircraft Owner City CAMP SPRINGS
Aircraft Owner State MD
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 20748
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 W32
Departure City CLINTON
Departure State MD
Departure Country
Departure Time 1017
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code 57A
Destination City RUTHERFORDTON
Destination State NC
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 36
Runway Length 4400
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --