Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Smith Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46825
Sunday, October 28, 2001 12:56 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted trees while attempting a go-around. The pilot reported that while on short final for landing, a gust of wind blew the airplane off the runway centerline. He said that he, "...immediately executed a go-around in which the plane banked sharply right, which [he] could not counter...." In a separate report, the pilot said that he was landing on runway 23 when the airplane banked sharply to the right. He said that he, "...attempted a go-around while trying to level the wings with no avail and crashed into trees north-east of the airport." The pilot listed no mechanical malfunction in his reports of the accident. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies that could be associated with a pre-impact condition. A weather report for a recording station located about 10 nautical miles south of the accident site listed the wind at 1254 as 240 degrees magnetic at 11 knots. No wind gusts were recorded for that report.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot not maintaining control of the airplane during an attempted go-around. A factor was the trees.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/28/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1256 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Fort Wayne |
| Event State | INDIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 46825 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | SMITH FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SMD |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 834 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1254 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 190 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FWA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 815 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.5 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -332 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11819 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 28 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1633 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 4 2002 9:52AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | South Bend, Indiana |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4879L |
| NTSB Number | CHI02LA014 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-4245 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 12 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4402 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | 65R Club, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO Box 85064 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Fort Wayne |
| Aircraft Owner State | IN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 46885 |
| 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 | MIE |
| Departure City | MUNCIE |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | SMD |
| Destination City | Fort Wayne |
| Destination State | IN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Go-around (VFR) |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 16 2002 12:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 23 |
| Runway Length | 3110 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |