Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Verden, Oklahoma 73092
Sunday, May 5, 1985 18:00 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AT ABOUT 1700 CDT ON 5/5/85, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TAKING OFF AT CHICKASHA, OK. AT SOMETIME AFTER 1700, AN ACFT MATCHING ITS DESCRIPTION WAS OBSERVED FLYING LOW OVER A LAKE. A WITNESS IN THAT AREA OBSERVED IT PULLED UP IN A STEEP CLIMB OVER THE DAM, UNTIL IT NEARLY STOPPED, THEN IT DOVE VERTICALLY & RECOVERED AT LOW ALT. THE PLT THEN FLEW TO AN AREA WERE THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED ON OPEN TERRAIN. THERE WERE NO KNOWN WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. THE ACFT WAS FOUND APRX 24 HRS LATER. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED INDICATIONS THAT THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED IN A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT WHILE SPINNING TO THE LEFT. HOWEVER, NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK OF THE PLT'S BLOOD SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.194%; A CHECK HIS URINE SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.185%.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/5/1985
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1800
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City VERDEN
Event State OKLAHOMA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 73092
Event Date Year 1985
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 Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1848 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 45
Weather Observation Facility ID OKC
Elevation of weather observation facility 1294
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 10000
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) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 25
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 130
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 11
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 17
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1021
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 6 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1930
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 28334
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2497K
NTSB Number FTW85FA209
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name LUSCOMBE
Aircraft Model 8E
Aircraft Series Identifier 8E
Aircraft Serial Number 5224
Certified Max Gross Weight 1400
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 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name KENNETH M. FRANKS
Aircraft Owner Street Address RR3 BOX 41C1
Aircraft Owner City BLANCHARD
Aircraft Owner State OK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 73010
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 CHK
Departure City CHICKASHA
Departure State OK
Departure Country
Departure Time 1700
Departure Time Zone CDT
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 Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
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 --