Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pleasant Mount, Pennsylvania 18453
Thursday, May 30, 2002 18:50 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The aircraft was at cruise flight at 11,000 feet with an instrument rated private pilot and passenger aboard. Thunderstorms and convective activity were in the area. The pilot elected to continue toward the weather, and requested to deviate around it, but did not specify a direction. After receiving permission for the deviation, the airplane first turned left while maintaining altitude, and then turned right greater than 90 degrees, and descended. The last radar contact was at 9,300 feet, after which radio and radar contact was lost. Witnesses on the ground observed the airplane in a descent estimated to be between 30 and 45 degrees nose down, below the base of the clouds, and could hear the engine operating. The witnesses observed the airplane come apart, while operating clear of clouds. One witness reported the descent started to shallow just prior to the airplane coming apart. The debris trail to the impact crater was 1,033 feet long, and it extended an additional 486 feet beyond the impact crater. The horizontal stabilizer and wings had downward bending on their spars. One propeller blade was found in the main impact crater, separated from the propeller hub, with "S" bending on the leading and trailing edges of the blade.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision resulting in flight into adverse weather, and his failure to maintain aircraft control, resulting in overstress of the aircraft. A factor was the thunderstorm activity.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/30/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1850 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Pleasant Mount |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 18453 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 414324N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0751846W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1854 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 230 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AVP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 963 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.89 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14086 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern Region Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 30 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2123 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 30 2003 9:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Allentown, Pennsylvania |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1577B |
| NTSB Number | NYC02FA106 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | A185F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18503015 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3350 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 16 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 100 |
| Airframe Hours | 4470.4 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Tazair LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 667 Madison Avenue |
| Aircraft Owner City | New York |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 10021 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Robert E. Fulton |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Newtown |
| Operator State | CT |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 06470 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 07C |
| Departure City | Auburn |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1445 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | OXC |
| Destination City | Oxford |
| Destination State | CT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent - uncontrolled |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 16 2003 11:07AM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |