Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Southeast Greensboro Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Climax, North Carolina 27233
Friday, November 15, 2002 17:59 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight departed about 1653, or approximately 46 minutes before the calculated end of civil twilight, and the accident occurred approximately 1759, or 20 minutes after the end of civil twilight. One witness reported seeing lights from the airplane descend below trees, then the lights from the airplane were observed to come up and then went down sharply. Another witness noted the airplane was flying alongside a highway nearby the airport at a low altitude, then observed the airplane collide with the tops of trees. The airplane then descended nose first and came to rest upright in a wooded area in a right wing and nose low attitude with the empennage elevated. A damaged tree located north of where the airplane came to rest was noted. The impact damaged right wing remained secured by the aileron flight control cables, while the bolt securing the aft wing and fuselage fittings of the left wing was not recovered. NTSB Metallurgical examination of the holes in the fittings of the left wing revealed elongation consistent with contact by the bolt shank. No evidence or preimpact failure or malfunction was noted with the flight controls for roll, pitch, and yaw. The auxiliary fuel pump and landing light operationally tested satisfactory post accident. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Tree trunks measuring various diameters were noted to have 45-degree cuts. The airport was determined to have a homemade visual approach slope indicator (VASI) installed, that was utilized by a pilot who flew a twin engine airplane into the airport; the airport facility directory did not depict the homemade VASI. A review of the pilot's logbook revealed his last logged night flight occurred on October 22, 2002, or about 24 days earlier.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's operation of the airplane at a low altitude during final approach that resulted in an in-flight collision with a tree, a witness reported pitch-up, and subsequent stall and in-flight collision with terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/15/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1759 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Climax |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 27233 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 355707N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0794130W |
| Event Location Airport | Southeast Greensboro Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 3A4 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.78 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 342 |
| Airport Elevation | 737 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1754 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 314 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KGSO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 926 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.02 |
| 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) | 17028 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 15 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1938 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 28 2004 12:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Greensboro, North Carolina |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8162N |
| NTSB Number | MIA03FA016 |
| 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 | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-140 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-25358 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2150 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 18 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 27.9 |
| Airframe Hours | 1780.3 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Ronald E. Hunt |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1601 Ternberry Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | High Point |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 27262 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 3A4 |
| Departure City | Climax |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1653 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 3A4 |
| Destination City | Climax |
| Destination State | NC |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent - uncontrolled |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 10 2004 3:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 17 |
| Runway Length | 3063 |
| Runway Width | 30 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |