Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Lovell Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lake Hills, Tennessee 37416
Friday, October 21, 1983 23:21 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WHILE EN ROUTE, THE ACFT'S RADIO TRANSMITTER BECAME INOP; HOWEVER, THE PLT COULD RECEIVE TRANSMISSIONS & WAS PROVIDED VECTORS TOWARD THE DESTINATION ARPT. AFTER STARTING A DESCENT NEAR THE DESTINATION, THE ENG LOST POWER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS DITCHED IN THE TENNESSEE RIVER. A WATER LAND ENG WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE OF THE ROUGH TERRAINS & DARKNESS. AFTER THE WATER LANDING, ALL 4 OCCUPANTS EXITED THE ACFT WHILE IT WAS STILL FLOATING. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, NONE RECEIVED INJURIES DURING THE FORCED LANDING. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS COULD NOT SWIM. SHE & ONE OTHER PASSENGER WERE PRESUMED TO HAVE DROWNED. AFTER THE ACFT WAS RECOVERED, ONLY RIVER WATER WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANKS. THE ACFT HAD FLOWN ABOUT 4 HRS & 6 MIN PRIOR TO CRASHING. FUEL CONSUMPTION FOR THE FLT AS ESTIMATED TO BE 60.27 GAL. THE FUEL CAPACITY FOR THE ACFT WAS 60 GAL. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT WAS BRIEFED TO EXPECT IMC CONDITIONS ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLT. DURING THE FLT, HE HAD CRUISED AT 8000 FT. AT CHATTANOOGA, THE CEILING WAS 3000 FT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/21/1983 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2321 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | LAKE HILLS |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 37416 |
| Event Date Year | 1983 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | LOVELL FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CHA |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 20 |
| Airport Elevation | 682 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2346 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 200 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CHA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 682 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| 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) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| 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) | 600 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 3099 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 24150 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:16AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5763P |
| NTSB Number | ATL84FA026 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-24-250 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-24-250 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24-841 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2800 |
| 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 | Sep 16 1983 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 9 |
| Airframe Hours | 2476 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PLEXUS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 29451 GREENFIELD, SUITE 207 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SOUTHFIELD |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 48076 |
| 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 | 7D2 |
| Departure City | TROY |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CHA |
| Destination City | CHATTANOOGA |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| 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 | 20 |
| Runway Length | 7401 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |