Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Luce County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Newberry, Michigan 49868
Friday, August 22, 2003 18:35 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane impacted a visual approach slope indicator (VASI) system during a landing attempt. The student pilot stated that while on final approach to runway 29 the airplane encountered a "very strong [wind] gust from the right (north)." The pilot reported the airplane "rolled left with a sudden drop of altitude." The pilot stated he increased engine power, but the aircraft impacted the runway. The pilot reported the airplane bounced off the runway and began to drift off the left side of the runway. The pilot stated he saw the VASI system and "heard a thud" when the airplane impacted it. The pilot reported he was able to regain aircraft control and landed on runway 04 without further incident. The winds were 320 degrees true at 9 knots gusting to 17 knots. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the impact with the VASI system. The student pilot's most recent 90-day solo endorsement expired almost nine months prior to the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions, resulting in aircraft control not being maintained during the landing approach. Contributing factors to the accident were the gusting crosswind and the VASI system.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/22/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1835 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Newberry |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49868 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 461840N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0852726W |
| Event Location Airport | Luce County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ERY |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 869 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1836 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ERY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 869 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 17 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.06 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1756 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14864 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 26 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1854 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 2 2004 8:07AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Federal Aviation Administration-Grand Rapids FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6195V |
| NTSB Number | CHI03LA287 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| 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 | Staudacher |
| Aircraft Model | S-1000 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2670 |
| 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 | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 18 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 29 |
| Airframe Hours | 278 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Edward A Meylan |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1161 8 Mile Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Kawkawlin |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 48631 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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 | 52I |
| Departure City | Pinconning |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1350 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | ERY |
| Destination City | Newberry |
| Destination State | MI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 31 2003 3:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 29 |
| Runway Length | 4300 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |