Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Oak Hill, Florida 32759
Thursday, January 10, 2002 10:42 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was observed to fly a circling maneuver, and then dive vertically into the ground with the engine running. Forensic toxicology revealed 31 percent carbon monoxide in the pilot's blood. Metallurgical examination of the exhaust muffler and heat exchanger assembly revealed the wall of the muffler was fractured through in the area where the exhaust pipe was welded to the muffler canister. Fracture surfaces darkly colored by corrosion were observed at the edge of the weld bead around the exhaust port over a circumference of approximately 180 degrees, and along several cracks branching outward from the weld bead. Fracture surfaces that displayed no corrosion branched out circumferentially from the corroded fracture surfaces on either end of the exhaust outlet. A review of Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular AC65-12A revealed in Chapter 2, Induction and Exhaust Systems, Exhaust System Repairs: "It is generally recommended that exhaust stacks, mufflers, tailpipes, etc., be replaced with new or reconditioned components rather than repaired".
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The improper modification of the exhaust muffler which resulted in fractures that enabled the contamination of the cabin heating and ventilation system. The pilot subsequently became incapacitated by carbon monoxide poisoning, and the airplane descended uncontrolled into terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/10/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1042 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Oak Hill |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32759 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 255225N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0804903W |
| 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 | 20 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 330 |
| Airport Elevation | 37 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1056 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 150 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TIX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 34 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1600 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.3 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -186 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13455 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Communications Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 10 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1115 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2003 9:51AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Orlando FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N150LB |
| NTSB Number | ATL02LA035 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Springer |
| Aircraft Model | Longbow 150 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 10 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 23 |
| Airframe Hours | 23 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Springer H L/Lytle F M II |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3555 Muirfield Dr |
| Aircraft Owner City | Titusville |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32780 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Harold L. Springer |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3555 Muirfield Dr |
| Operator City | Titusville |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32780 |
| 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 | TIX |
| Departure City | Titusville |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 9 2003 10:23AM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| 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 | -- |