Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Homer Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Homer, Louisiana 71040
Monday, November 25, 2002 7:30 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-instrument rated private pilot took off from the airport in instrument meteorological conditions for a cross country flight. Witnesses close to the accident site reported that very thick fog was in the area at the time of the accident. The witnesses heard the aircraft depart from the runway and make a right turn. A few minutes later, the engine was heard to "sputter," then "race up in rpm" followed by the sound of the impact with trees. The wreckage was located just north of the departure end of the runway in a marsh area that surrounded the airport. The initial impact was with trees approximately 30 feet in height. The airplane came to rest nose down in approximately 3 feet of water and was destroyed from the cabin forward. The airport guide notes that approximate 60 foot trees are located about 205 feet off both ends of the runway thresholds and about 195 to 200 feet from runway centerline.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's VFR flight into IMC conditions and his failure to obtain/maintain altitude/clearance from trees during the initial climb after takeoff. Contributing factors were fog and trees.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/25/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 730 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Homer |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 71040 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | -- |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | 324746N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0930025W |
| Event Location Airport | Homer Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 5F4 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 244 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 721 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SHV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 258 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 47 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Overcast |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| 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) | 30.12 |
| 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) | 13687 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 25 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1015 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 23 2003 8:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5246 |
| NTSB Number | FTW03LA049 |
| 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 | Girard |
| Aircraft Model | RV-4 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 282 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1500 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Ray A. Bergeron |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Breaux Bridge |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 70517 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 5F4 |
| Departure City | Homer |
| Departure State | LA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 720 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Beaux Bridge |
| Destination State | LA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2003 3:39PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |