Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Habersham County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cornelia, Georgia 30531
Tuesady, November 19, 2002 21:52 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight was cleared for a GPS 6 approach, and the wreckage was found a few hundred feet from the runway. Trees near the runway threshold were found broken 15 feet above the runway elevation. The published minimum descent altitude for the approach was 533 feet above the runway touchdown zone. Examination of the airframe, engine, vacuum pumps, and instruments revealed no evidence of malfunction. Forensic toxicology revealed 0.67 (ug/mL, ug/g) Tramadol was detected in the pilot's blood, and Tramadol was present in the urine. Tramadol is a prescription narcotic-like painkiller used for moderate to severe pain, and the pilot was taking the drug for pain following back surgery. A review of FAA airman medical records revealed no evidence the pilot reported the Tramadol usage to the FAA. Title 14 CFR Part 91.17 states, "(a) No person may act ... as a crewmember of a civil aircraft ... (3) While using any drug that affects the person's faculties in any way contrary to safety."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to follow IFR approach procedures and continue below the minimum descent altitude, which resulted in an inflight collision with trees, and the ground. A factor was the pilot's impairment from a prescription drug.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/19/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2152 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Cornelia |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30531 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 342952N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0833328W |
| Event Location Airport | Habersham County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 50A |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 150 |
| Airport Elevation | 1447 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2153 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 230 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GVL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1275 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 19 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Indefinite (V V) |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.26 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 232 |
| 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) | 15268 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 20 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 100 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 28 2004 3:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Atlanta FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N58GH |
| NTSB Number | ATL03FA017 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 182Q |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18265769 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2950 |
| 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 | Oct 8 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 12 |
| Airframe Hours | 317.6 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Jo Houghton |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 52 Skylake |
| Aircraft Owner City | Sautee Nacoochee |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 30571 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Gene Norman Houghton |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | TLH |
| Departure City | Tallahassee |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1948 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | AJR |
| Destination City | Cornellia |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 4 2004 2:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 06 |
| Runway Length | 3750 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |