Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Witham Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Stuart, Florida 34996
Tuesady, February 13, 2001 18:16 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The fuel tanks were filled 2 days before the accident and the airplane had been operated for approximately 2.1 hours since fueling before the accident pilot flew the airplane. The accident pilot flew the airplane to another airport where 1 of the 2 passengers on board deplaned; the flight duration was approximately 20-30 minutes and was uneventful according to the passenger who deplaned. The pilot flew the accident airplane to the original departure airport where he performed 1 touch-and-go landing followed by a second touch-and-go landing. During the initial climb after the second touch-and-go landing, the pilot advised the controller that he was landing on a golf course and the engine had quit. The airplane clipped the top of a tree on a fairway of the golf course, then touched down on the fairway. During the landing roll the airplane collided with a stand of palm trees resulting in a postcrash fire. Examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The engine was placed on a test stand with the slightly impact damaged propeller and impact damaged carburetor; the engine was found to operate normally. The carburetor had been previously converted from one part number to another; an economizer restrictor was installed that was not specified to be installed. The carburetor was flow tested which revealed that the carburetor flowed within limits at 1 test point and an average of 6.2 pounds per hour greater than specified at the remaining four test points. Calculations indicated that the engine/propeller rpm at touchdown on the fairway was 872. Postaccident testing of fuel from the facility that fueled the airplane last revealed the fuel was within specification.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of engine power due to undetermined reasons resulting in the forced landing. A factor in the accident was the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/13/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1816 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Stuart |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 34996 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 271059N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0801243W |
| Event Location Airport | Witham Field Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KSUA |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.64 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 71 |
| Airport Elevation | 18 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1817 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 251 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KSUA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 18 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Dawn |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 110 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.25 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 12303 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA COMM CNTR |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 13 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1926 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 20 2002 10:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N979ND |
| NTSB Number | MIA01FA077 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 182J |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18257443 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 3 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4709 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Apex Aviation, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2003 S.E. Airport Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Stuart |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 34996 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KSUA |
| Departure City | Stuart |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KSUA |
| Destination City | Stuart |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing after takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 3 2002 3:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 12 |
| Runway Length | 5826 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |