Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ithaca, Nebraska 68033
Monday, August 12, 2002 8:20 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During low level maneuvering, the airplane impacted corn stalks and terrain in a 30-degree nose down attitude. Witnesses stated the pilot rented the airplane for a local flight. One witness noticed the pilot had not preflighted the airplane, and then sat in the airplane for approximately 30 minutes prior to departure. According to recorded radar data, a target was depicted departing the airport area and proceeding to the north. The target had executed a series of turns between an altitude of 1,600 and 1,800 feet msl before disappearing. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that could have prevented normal flight operations. A local law enforcement official stated the pilot was the subject of an on-going criminal investigation. Numerous people who knew the pilot reported to the official that the pilot would kill himself by intentionally crashing an airplane before he would go to jail.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's intentional flight of the airplane into terrain in an act of suicide.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/12/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 820 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Ithaca |
| Event State | NEBRASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 68033 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 410835N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0962647W |
| 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 | 735 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 32 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LNK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1219 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 22 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 230 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.91 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13970 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA, Great Lakes Region |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 12 2002 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 30 2003 9:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Lincoln, Nebraska |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N49998 |
| NTSB Number | FTW02FA233 |
| 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 | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 152 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15281434 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1670 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 22 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 48 |
| Airframe Hours | 4264.8 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Steven Thomas Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 158 W. Lombard Dr. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lincoln |
| Aircraft Owner State | NE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 68521 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Silverhawk Aviation |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1751 W. Kearney Avenue, Lincoln Municipal Airport |
| Operator City | Lincoln |
| Operator State | NE |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 68524 |
| 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 | LNK |
| Departure City | Lincoln |
| Departure State | NE |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 718 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| 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 | Jul 21 2003 5:58PM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| 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 | -- |