Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Humphreys County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mcewen, Tennessee 37101
Saturday, November 3, 2001 1:55 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot's original destination was Clarksville, Tennessee. However, because of adverse weather conditions in Clarksville, the pilot diverted to Waverly, Tennessee. The pilot contacted the Nashville automated Flight Service Station at about 2200 and again at about 0100 for a weather brief. The pilot limited the brief by only asking what Ft. Campbell, was reporting for visibility. At both times Ft. Campbell, Kentucky was reporting less then three miles visibility and fog. Shortly after 0130, the non-instrument rated private pilot, initiated VFR flight into IMC conditions. The airplane was last seen on radar at about 0155 in the vicinity of the accident site, circling, at about 1600 feet mean sea level. Examination of the wreckage found that the airplane had cartwheeled left wing first, then the nose, followed by the right wing, until it came to rest against a tree line. Further examination did not reveal evidence of mechanical malfunction, and there was no evidence of pilot impairment or incapacitation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot initiated a VFR flight into known IMC conditions which resulted in a loss of control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation. Factors were the low ceilings.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/3/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 155 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | McEwen |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 37101 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 360941N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0874109W |
| Event Location Airport | Humphreys County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 0M5 |
| 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 | 200 |
| Airport Elevation | 756 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1255 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 20 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HOP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 573 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 50 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 300 |
| 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) | 2.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 2 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.31 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 624 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13667 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 3 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1130 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 23 2003 8:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Nashville FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N43334 |
| NTSB Number | ATL02FA008 |
| 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 | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-181 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-8490035 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| 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 | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 1 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 7 |
| Airframe Hours | 9220 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Howard C. Wilson |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6303 Needham Lane |
| Aircraft Owner City | Austin |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78739 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Beth Jenkins |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 209 Corsair |
| Operator City | Georgetown |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 75628 |
| 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 | OM5 |
| Departure City | Waverly |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 115 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CKV |
| Destination City | Clarksville |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise - normal |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2003 2:42PM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 4000 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |