Bowie Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Bowie, Arizona 85605
Monday, January 2, 1984 12:20 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DESPITE 2 WX BRIEFINGS FORECASTING MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS WITH REPORTS OF ICING, THE PLT DEPARTED ON A FLT IN THE NON-IFR EQUIPPED ACFT. JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, TRANSMISSIONS BETWEEN THE PLT & ATC INDICATED THAT THE ACFT WAS IN A SNOW SHOWER BETWEEN CLOUD LAYERS AT 13,500 FT & WAS ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB TO VFR CONDITIONS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT BROKE UP IN FLT & THE WRECKAGE WAS DISTRIBUTED OVER A 2 MI AREA. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE PRIOR TO THE IN-FLT BREAKUP. A METEOROLOGICAL SUMMARY DETERMINED THAT ICING OF AT LEAST MODERATE INTENSITY WOULD HAVE OCCURRED FROM 6000 TO 14,000 FT. THE PLT HAD BEEN AWAY FROM HOME FOR OVER 2 WEEKS & HAD EXPERIENCED SEVERAL WX RELATED DELAYS IN THE PREVIOUS 2 DAYS. A FRIEND REPORTED THAT HE WAS SCHEDULED TO RETURN TO WORK & THAT THE PASSENGER(HIS SON) HAD TO RETURN TO SCHOOL THE FOLLOWING DAY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/2/1984
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1220
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City BOWIE
Event State ARIZONA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 85605
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport BOWIE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID E54
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 270
Airport Elevation 3737
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 1151 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 247
Weather Observation Facility ID TUS
Elevation of weather observation facility 2630
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 75
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 800
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 4
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
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) 1816
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 25695
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Unknown
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1050G
NTSB Number LAX84FA129
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 YAPLE, ROBERT G.
Aircraft Model VARI-EZE
Aircraft Series Identifier VARI-EZE
Aircraft Serial Number 727
Certified Max Gross Weight 1150
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection --
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 DONALD REIDEL STITH
Aircraft Owner Street Address 8969 COUINA
Aircraft Owner City SAN DIEGO
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92126
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 LRU
Departure City LAS CRUCES
Departure State NM
Departure Country
Departure Time 1000
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MYF
Destination City SAN DIEGO
Destination State CA
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 3900
Runway Width 80
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --