Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Crossville, Tennessee 38555
Sunday, March 20, 1983 17:00 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO HINCH MT AT THE 2700 FOOT LEVEL DURING CRUISE FLT IN IMC WEATHER. THE PILOT WAS INFORMED DURING THE INITIAL AND SUBSEQUENT BRIEFINGS THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR HIS ROUTE. THE FIRST LEG OF THE FLIGHT FROM NEW ORLEANS TO TUSCALOOSA ENDED WITH A LANDING UNDER IFR CONDITIONS. THE PILOT TOLD THE FSS PERSONNEL HE WAS GOING BACK TO MERIDIAN, MS BUT INSTEAD CONTINUED ON TOWARD HIS ORIGINAL DESTINATION OF MASON WV. THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES FROM THE CRASH IN TN BUT HIS SON, A PASSENGER, SURVIVED. THE SON SAID THAT HIS FATHER WAS INSTRUMENT RATED BUT HAD NOT FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN BECAUSE OF A KNOWN MALFUNCTIONING DIRECTIONAL GYRO. A STOP HAD BEEN MADE ON A PREVIOUS TRIP TO FIX THE DG BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED; FIRE DAMAGE PRECLUDED POSTACCIDENT DETERMINATION OF CAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/20/1983
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1700
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City CROSSVILLE
Event State TENNESSEE
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 38555
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
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 --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1650 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 336
Weather Observation Facility ID CSV
Elevation of weather observation facility 1881
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 11
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Dusk
Lowest Ceiling Height 500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
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) 4
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 9
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
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 Light
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 434
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 20508
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9600W
NTSB Number ATL83FA140
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-140
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-140
Aircraft Serial Number 28-23051
Certified Max Gross Weight 2150
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 0
Airframe Hours 2060
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name THREE POINT FLYING CLUB, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 50145 STATE ROUTE 124
Aircraft Owner City RACINE
Aircraft Owner State OH
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 45771
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 Yes - certificate holder
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 TCL
Departure City TULSCALOOSA
Departure State AL
Departure Country
Departure Time 1313
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code 312
Destination City POINT PLEASANT
Destination State WV
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
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 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --