Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Grafton, Iowa 50440
Saturday, July 21, 2001 13:22 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted the terrain in a muddy soybean field. The private pilot was not instrument rated. A witness reported the pilot was concerned about the weather and delayed the takeoff until about 1200. A 1258 special weather observation from a weather station located 20 miles northwest of the accident site, reported winds from 260 degrees at 8 knots gusting to 18 knots, visibility 3/4 miles, ceiling overcast at 200 feet, and lightning distant all quadrants. The 1319 special weather observation reported winds from 070 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 7 miles, scattered clouds at 400 feet, scattered clouds at 1,700 feet, ceiling overcast at 2,300 feet, and lightning distant all quadrants. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Meteorology Factual report stated, "The general route of flight indicates the flight was operating under light to moderate weather echoes for the majority of the flight, a brief break in the echoes until just prior to encountering intense to extreme echoes in the general vicinity of the accident site." A witness, who was located approximately one mile north of the accident site, reported a heavy downpour of rain (1.0 inch measured), high winds, pea size hail, and lightning between approximately 1315 and 1330. The inspection of the airplane wreckage revealed no preexisting anomalies to the airframe or engine.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper inflight decision to continue into known adverse weather. A factor was the thunderstorm.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/21/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1322 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Grafton |
| Event State | IOWA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 50440 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 220 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MCW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1213 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 18 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2300 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| 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) | 29.97 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2975 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Heavy |
| 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) | 12445 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 21 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1812 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2002 3:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-Des Moines FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6062E |
| NTSB Number | CHI01FA230 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | K35 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | D-5999 |
| 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 | Jul 6 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 12 |
| Airframe Hours | 3972 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Henry C. Manwarren |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 355 Diane Ct. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Merced |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95348 |
| 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 | CKP |
| Departure City | CHEROKEE |
| Departure State | IA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | OSH |
| Destination City | Oshkosh |
| Destination State | WI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 11 2002 3:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |