Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sparta, North Carolina 28675
Saturday, May 23, 1987 15:20 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT ATTEMPTED A PRECAUTIONARY LDG AT A PRIVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP HE HAD LOCATED, AFTER BEING ADVISED OF WX AT HIS INTENDED DESTINATION BY ATC. JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, HE OBSERVED A BALLOON AT MID-FIELD AND EXCUTED A GO-AROUND. DURING CLIMBOUT, HE LOST SIGHT OF THE FIELD AND CIRCLED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AS THE WX CONDITIONS DETERIORATED. HE SUBSEQUENTLY ATTEMPTED A LDG ON A GRAVEL ROAD WHERE HE OBSERVED WIRES IN FRONT OF HIM; HE ADDED FULL PWR TO GO-AROUND AND THE AMPHIBIOUS ACFT MISSED THE WIRES TO THE FRONT, BUT A WING STRUCK A UTILITY POLE GUY WIRE. THE ACFT SPUN AROUND TO THE SIDE AND CAME TO REST NOSE-UP AGAINST A UTILITY POLE. THE PLT TOLD A STATE TROOPER THAT HE HAD ATTEMPTED THE LDG BECAUSE HE FELT HE WAS GETTING LOW ON FUEL. LATER EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED APPROX 2 GALS. OF FUEL ON BOARD. NO EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE WAS FOUND. THE FLT ORIGINATED AT SALISBURY, MD AT APPROX 1135 EDT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/23/1987 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1520 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | SPARTA |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28675 |
| Event Date Year | 1987 |
| 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 | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| 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) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| 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) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | FAA |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 780 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 23 1987 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1655 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 34076 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 2:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8543A |
| NTSB Number | ATL87LA146 |
| 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 | Consolidated Aeronautics Inc. |
| Aircraft Model | LAKE LA-4-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | LAKE LA-4- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1102 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2690 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 280 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HOMER D SKELTON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1956 COVINGTON PIKE |
| Aircraft Owner City | MEMPHIS |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 38128 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SKELTON,HOMER D |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1970 COVINGTON PIKE |
| Operator City | MEMPHIS |
| Operator State | TN |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 38128 |
| 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 | SBY |
| Departure City | SALISBURY |
| Departure State | MD |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1135 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | TRI |
| Destination City | KINGSPORT |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| 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 | -- |