Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Birmingham Muni. Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Birmingham, Alabama 35235
Sunday, March 6, 1983 19:32 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES AND TERRAIN DURING A PRACTICE LOCALIZER APPROACH AT NIGHT TO RWY 23 AT BIRMINGHAM MUNICIPALARPT. THE WEATHER WAS VMC AND THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. ON APPROACHING BIRMINGHAM FROM TRI-CITIES, NC THE PILOT ASKED FOR A LOCALIZER APPROACH. HE WAS CLEARED FOR THE APPROACH AND DESCENT TO 3000 FT. AT 1925 WHEN ASKED IF HE WAS RECEIVING THE LOCALIZER HE ANSWERED 'AFFIRMATIVE-ON GLIDE PATH, EXCUSE ME, ON THE CENTER.' HE WAS ADVISED OF HIS POSITION 13 MILES FROM THE ROEBY RADIO BEACON AND CLEARED FOR THE APPROACH. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLEARANCE AND INSTRUCTION TO REMAIN VFR. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER FOLLOWED HIM ON RADAR (NO ALT) AND LOST THE RETURN WHEN THE TARGET WAS 6 MILES FROM THE ARPT. THE CRASH SITE WAS ABOUT ON COURSE NEAR THE CREST OF A 1240 FT MOUNTAIN ABOUT 2 MILES OUTSIDE THEOUTER MARKER. PROCEDURES DICTATE THAT 2000 FT BE MAINTAINED UNTIL INSIDE THE OUTER MARKER. A WITNESS SAW THE ACFT DESCENDING AND HEARD AN INCREASE IN ENGINE NOISE AND SAW THE NOSE OF THE ACFT COME UP BEFORE HITTING THE TREES.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/6/1983 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1932 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | BIRMINGHAM |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35235 |
| Event Date Year | 1983 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | BIRMINGHAM MUNI. |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BHM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 6 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 54 |
| Airport Elevation | 621 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1944 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 234 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BHM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 644 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Bright |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1687 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 22021 |
| 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 | N9543R |
| NTSB Number | ATL83FA129 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | K35 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | K35 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | D-6121 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2950 |
| 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 | Feb 1 1983 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 32 |
| Airframe Hours | 4574 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BENGAL FLYERS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | ROUTE 5, POST OFFICE BOX 578 |
| Aircraft Owner City | DENHAM SPRING |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 70726 |
| 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 | TRI |
| Departure City | TRI CITIES |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1613 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BHM |
| Destination City | BIRMINGHAM |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| 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 | 23 |
| Runway Length | 8220 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |