Huntsville-Madison County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Eva, Alabama 35621
Friday, September 13, 1985 11:11 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DRG AN IFR ARRIVAL/DSCNT, THE PLT STATED HE 'HAD TO FEATHER 1 ENG, I HAVE AN OIL LEAK & I'M JUST TRYING TO DSCND . . .' HE THEN SAID HE WAS DSCNDG THRU 5300'. AS HE CONTD THE APCH, HE INFORMED THE CONTROLLER HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO GO AROUND SINCE THE HYDR SYS WAS POWERED BY THE AFFECTED (R) ENG. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT SAID HE WAS AT 1500' & WAS HAVING A HARD TIME HOLDING ALT. A WITNESS HEARD & SAW THE ACFT IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE AT LOW ALT, THEN SAW THE ACFT DIVE TOWARD THE GROUND. IT IMPACTED IN A STEEP DSCNT JUST SHORT OF A LONG FIELD & BURNED. THE R PROP WAS FEATHERED, BUT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF OIL STARVATION IN EITHER ENG. THE PLT'S NEIGHBOR SAID HE (THE PLT) WAS AWARE OF A HYDR LEAK, BUT HE WAS AWAITING THE ANNUAL INSPN (DUE IN SEP) TO REPAIR IT. AN EXAM REVEALED THE FLAPS WERE PARTIALLY EXTENDED, THE LNDG GEAR CONTROL WAS IN THE 'UP' PSN, & THE GEAR WAS DOWN. THE FLT MANUAL STATED THAT WITH A HYDR FAILURE DOWNSTREAM OF THE ACCUMULATOR, THE FLAP HANDLE SHOULD BE IN 'NEUTRAL' TO PREVENT GEAR & FLAP EXTN. THE FLAP CONTROL COULD NOT BE FND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/13/1985
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1111
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City EVA
Event State ALABAMA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 35621
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport HUNTSVILLE-MADISON COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID HSV
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 17
Degrees magnetic from airport 180
Airport Elevation 629
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1550 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID HSV
Elevation of weather observation facility 629
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 16
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 2800
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2800
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
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) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 50
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) 1500
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) 2205
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 13 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1310
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 29681
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 N680CC
NTSB Number ATL85MA275
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 None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Smith, Ted Aerostar
Aircraft Model AEROSTAR 600
Aircraft Series Identifier AEROSTAR 6
Aircraft Serial Number 60-0031
Certified Max Gross Weight 5500
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 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Sep 26 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILLIAM D. CHAMPION
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4950 SOUTHWIND DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City MULBERRY
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33860
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 LAL
Departure City LAKELAND
Departure State FL
Departure Country
Departure Time 935
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code HSV
Destination City HUNTSVILLE
Destination State AL
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 36R
Runway Length 8000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --