Hardwick Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Cleveland, Tennessee 37311
Thursday, September 21, 1989 22:10 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE FLIGHT WAS FLOWN WITH AN IFR CLEARANCE WHICH WAS CANCELLED NEAR THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE PILOT REPORTED 20 MILES VISIBILITY BENEATH THE OVERCAST AS HE APPROACHED THE AIRPORT. HE FLEW OVER THE RUNWAY & ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND LEG. ON SHORT FINAL AT ABOUT 250 FEET FOG WAS OBSERVED BENEATH THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED INTO THE FOG, POWER WAS INCREASED, & A LEFT TURN WAS BEGUN FOR THE MISSED APPROACH. A CLIMB WAS NOT INITIATED PRIOR TO THE TURN & THE FLAPS WERE RETRACTED AT LOW SPEED. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES, & EVENTUALLY STALLED. IT COLLIDED WITH TWO HOUSES DURING THE UNCONTROLLED DESCENT, THEN CAME TO REST IN A BACK YARD.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE IMPROPER HANDLING OF THE AIRPLANE BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND; A DELAYED GO-AROUND, AND THE PREMATURE RETRACTIONS OF THE FLAPS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/21/1989
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 2210
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City CLEVELAND
Event State TENNESSEE
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 37311
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport HARDWICK
Event Location Nearest Airport ID HDI
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 874
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2153 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 240
Weather Observation Facility ID CHA
Elevation of weather observation facility 682
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 25
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 8000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 12
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 22
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 800
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
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 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1944
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 22 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 800
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 41074
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 1:02PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N43804
NTSB Number ATL89LA216
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-181
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-181
Aircraft Serial Number 28-7890020
Certified Max Gross Weight 2558
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 Jun 1 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 37
Airframe Hours 2206
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CLEVELAND AERO CLUB, INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2140 CHERRY ST SE.
Aircraft Owner City CLEVELAND
Aircraft Owner State TN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 37311
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name CLEVELAND AERO CLUB, INC
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2140 CHERRY ST
Operator City CLEVELAND
Operator State TN
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 37311
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code PDK
Departure City CHAMBLE
Departure State GA
Departure Country
Departure Time 2113
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code HDI
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 3
Runway Length 3300
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --