Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Montgomery Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Montgomery, Alabama 36043
Wednesday, December 12, 2001 16:10 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot departed Montgomery, Alabama, on an IFR flight plan with a 700 feet overcast ceiling. Shortly after takeoff the pilot informed the controller, "we are coming back for a minute." The pilot did not state why. The controller asked the pilot to say his request. The pilot stated, "uh I'm going to circle to the left or right either one and land again." The controller instructed the pilot to circle to the right and asked him if he had the airport in sight and if he would like vectors to the ILS. The pilot replied, "no we'll go to the right." There was no other recorded radio communication with the pilot. Review of radar data revealed the airplane was last observed at 800 feet with a decrease in groundspeed. Examination of the crash site revealed the airplane collided with the terrain in a vertical descent in a slight right turn. There was no evidence of a crash debris line at the crash site. The lower surface of the wing skin displayed evidence of upward compression. There was no evidence of a pre-crash mechanical failure of the airframe, flight controls, engine assemblies or propellers.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilots failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering in instrument flight conditions resulting in an inadvertence stall/spin (vertical descent) and subsequent in-flight collision with trees and terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/12/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1610 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Montgomery |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 36043 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 321709N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0862201W |
| Event Location Airport | Montgomery Regional |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MGM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1.15 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 280 |
| Airport Elevation | 221 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Abbreviated |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1554 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 280 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MGM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 221 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.13 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12260 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NTSB-SEFA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 12 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1830 |
| 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 | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Birmingham FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N99DC |
| NTSB Number | ATL02FA017 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Unknown Origin |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | BE-55 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TC1490 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5100 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 25 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Ralph O. Kiper |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO Box 1080 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Shreveport |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 71163 |
| 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 | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | MGM |
| Departure City | Montgomery |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1608 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | DTN |
| Destination City | Shreveport |
| Destination State | LA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 28 2002 9:49AM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |