Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Middlesboro Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Middlesboro, Kentucky 40965
Saturday, July 5, 2003 11:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
About 8 miles south of the destination airport, the pilot advised the air traffic controller that he had the airport in sight. The air traffic controller terminated the flight following and instructed the pilot to contact the airport UNICOM for advisories. No further radio transmissions were received from the airplane. Review of radar data revealed a target, transmitting a 1200 beacon code, southwest of the airport. The target was traveling northeast, level at 5,500 feet. The target remained in level flight, until it began a descent about 8 miles south of the airport. The target continued the descent and made a right turn about 2 miles east of the airport. About 3 miles northeast of the airport, the target was at an altitude of 4,400 feet, heading east. There were no further radar returns received from the target. Data extracted from a hand-held global positioning system (GPS) found in the wreckage, revealed that about 2 miles east of the airport, the airplane began a right hand turn, at 142 knots. During the turn, the airspeed increased an average of 8.6 knots over a 25 second period, to where the last GPS data point was recorded, about 3 miles northeast of the airport, as a heading of 163 degrees magnetic, and airspeed of 211 knots. The airplane experienced an in-flight breakup along a ridgeline within the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. The weather recorded at the destination airport, about 6 minute after the accident included, wind from 160 degrees at 4 knots, visibility unrestricted at 10 miles, scattered clouds at 2,700 feet, temperature 83 degrees F, dew point temperature 71 degrees F, altimeter 30.12 Hg. Geostationary Operations Environmental Satellite number 12 (GOES-12) data was obtained from the National Transportation Safety Board's Man-computer Interactive Data Access System (McIDAS) workstation. Examination of the data revealed an area of low clouds in the immediate vicinity of the accident site, with the tops being approximately 4,500 of feet. According to the airplane's Pilot Operating Handbook, the Never Exceed Speed was published as 173 KIAS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper decision to descend into clouds, and his exceeding the maximum speed and design stress limits of the airplane, which resulted in an in-flight breakup and subsequent collision with terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/5/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1115 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Middlesboro |
| Event State | KENTUCKY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 40965 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 363733N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0834046W |
| Event Location Airport | Middlesboro Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 1A6 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 3 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | 1212 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1121 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | 1A6 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1212 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 83 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 71 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| 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) | 17037 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 6 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1730 |
| 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 | Louisville, KY |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N205 |
| NTSB Number | NYC03FA148 |
| 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 | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | F-35 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | D4183 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2750 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 20 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 12 |
| Airframe Hours | 4886 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BBF&K LLC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. Box 11568 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Knoxville |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| 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 | TYS |
| Departure City | Knoxville |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1037 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 1A6 |
| Destination City | Middlesboro |
| Destination State | KY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 8 2004 11:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |