Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Short Creek (Private) Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Dover, Tennessee 37058
Saturday, June 14, 2003 12:05 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane departed a private airstrip shortly before the arrival of a thunderstorm, and one witness stated it used an abnormal amount of runway. A second witness stated the engine sounded like it was laboring, and another witness stated it sounded normal. One witness described the storm as a "virtual wall of water." The airplane was not equipped with an artificial horizon instrument. When the airplane failed to arrive at its destination, a search was initiated. On June 22, 2003, a portion of the left main landing gear strut and tire was located in the river a few hundred yards from the departure airport. On August 8, 2003, the airplane was located in the water a few miles from the departure airport. Examination revealed no evidence of airframe, engine, or component malfunction. A review of radar and satellite data revealed a large area of thunderstorms along the intended route of flight, with cumulus clouds embedded in an overcast layer, a band of towering cumulus to developing cumulonimbus clouds, and an area of radar echoes across the intended route of flight with reflectivities at video integrator and processor (VIP) Level 4 to 5, "very strong" to "intense" intensity.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot continued VFR flight into adverse weather conditions including instrument meteorological conditions and turbulence in thunderstorms, which resulted in a loss of control in flight and subsequent collision with terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/14/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1205 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Dover |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 37058 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 362415N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0880057W |
| Event Location Airport | Short Creek (private) |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 8TN7 |
| 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 | 270 |
| Airport Elevation | 290 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1258 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 58 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KHOP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 573 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 29 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| 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) | 29.94 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2250 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Moderate |
| METAR weather report | METAR KHOP 141758Z 26007KT 170V290 7SM VCSH BKN020 |
| 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) | 16216 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 15 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 29 2004 1:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Nashville FSDO - 03 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N68551 |
| NTSB Number | ATL03FA125 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | Y |
| 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 | Bellanca |
| Aircraft Model | 7KCAB |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 324-72 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1650 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 26 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 8.52 |
| Airframe Hours | 2158.28 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Earl Louis Witte |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 37030 Carmel Lane |
| Aircraft Owner City | Paducah |
| Aircraft Owner State | KY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 42003 |
| 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 | 8TN7 |
| Departure City | Dover |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1300 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KFIO |
| Destination City | Paducah |
| Destination State | KY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Unknown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 28 2004 1:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 25 |
| Runway Length | 2650 |
| Runway Width | 30 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |