Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bruceton Mills, West Virginia 26525
Wednesday, May 21, 2003 11:13 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-instrument rated pilot departed on a VFR cross country flight after he received a weather briefing which included ceilings between 1,300 feet, and 1,500 feet, and mountain obscurement. The airplane struck the top guy wire, mid-span between the top of the tower and its ground anchor. As the airplane fell to the ground, it struck a 12,000 volt power line. A post crash fire resulted. The accident site was located 18 nm east of a straight line course between his last departure point, and his first navigational fix. The airplane was equipped the VOR receivers, and the pilot had a GPS with him. The method of navigation used was not determined. Power company personnel who responded to the power outage, reported that the top of the mountain was obscured by fog. The pilot possessed a valid Canadian pilot certificate, but not a current Canadian medical certificate. He did not possess an FAA airman medical certificate or pilot certificate.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's intentional decision to continue visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain obstacle clearance which resulted in the airplane striking a guy wire on the communications antenna. A factor was the fog.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/21/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1113 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Bruceton Mills |
| Event State | WEST VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 26525 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 394146N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0794547W |
| 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 | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1129 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 254 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MGW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1248 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1500 |
| 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) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.28 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 498 |
| 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) | 15742 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 21 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1330 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 30 2004 12:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Charleston, West Virginia |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N55995 |
| NTSB Number | NYC03FA113 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7305516 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2450 |
| 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 18 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2143 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | W.G. Pate Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1310 SE 3RD Way |
| Aircraft Owner City | Pompano Beach |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33060 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Kenneth G. McLeod |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Mississauga, ONTARIO |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | CA |
| 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 | CKB |
| Departure City | Clarksburg |
| Departure State | WV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1044 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CYKZ |
| Destination City | Buttonville |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | CA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 8 2004 3:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |