Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lurton, Arkansas 72641
Saturday, April 7, 2001 12:50 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The non-instrument rated private pilot was flying at 7,500 feet on a cross-country flight when he reported to air traffic control (ATC) that he wanted to descend due to "haze." The flight descended to 5,200 feet and the pilot requested another descent; however, ATC informed the pilot that they would not have radar contact with the airplane below 5,500 feet. The pilot elected to stay at 5,500 feet and repeated that it was hazy. The final radar data depicted the airplane descending and making a right corkscrew ground track. A witness, who was located in the vicinity of the accident site, heard the sound of a "motor speed up," and heard an aircraft clear a ridge and impact the ground. After the impact, he saw the "flash of a fire ball." The witness added that it was "too foggy" to see the airplane. According to local residents, the weather was foggy and misty at the time of the accident. The airplane's outboard wing sections separated in overload and came to rest in trees on the north side of a ridge. The fuselage impacted trees and terrain on the south side of the ridge approximately 0.2 miles from the outboard wing sections. Its measured descent angle was 50 degrees. All of the control cable and structural separations were consistent with an overload failure. It is unknown how much, if any, instrument or simulated instrument flight time the pilot had accumulated. Metabolites of cocaine were found in the pilot's muscle tissue; however, it could not be determined when the pilot may have used cocaine.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the pilot's continued VFR flight into IMC, which resulted in spatial disorientation and the ensuing loss of aircraft control while in cruise flight. Contributory factors were the haze and fog weather conditions.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/7/2001
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1250
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City Lurton
Event State ARKANSAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 72641
Event Date Year 2001
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 354509N
Event Location Longitude 0930613W
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID --
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator --
Wind Speed (knots) --
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
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) 10973
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Apr 9 2001 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1840
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Nov 14 2001 10:29AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Little Rock, Arkansas

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1055D
NTSB Number FTW01FA095
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? Yes
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 190
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 7667
Certified Max Gross Weight 3350
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 5
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 1 2001 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 2744
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Michael H. Huckins
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7117 West Harry Street, #9272
Aircraft Owner City Wichita
Aircraft Owner State KS
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 67276
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 No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code K50
Departure City Derby
Departure State KS
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1100
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code TUP
Destination City Tupelo
Destination State MS
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Descent - uncontrolled
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Oct 29 2001 9:14AM
User who most recently changed record MORJU
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --