Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
St Colair County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pell City, Alabama 35125
Saturday, October 4, 2003 16:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A Piper PA-28R-180 (Arrow), N70SR, and a Charles, WAR F4V (Corsair), N71723, experimental amateur built collided in-flight prior to touchdown at the St Clair County Airport, in Pell City, Alabama. According to a CFII/MEI he had just left the main ramp area and was taxiing to runway 20. He heard the Arrow announce he was inbound for landing, and later announced that he was entering the downwind for runway 20. The CFII stated that he was following the homebuilt Corsair, to the hold short line of runway 20. After the Corsair took off the CFII completed his runup, and heard the Arrow announce that he was entering a left base for runway 20. The CFII saw the airplane on base, and heard him announce his turn to final. As the airplane was established on final, he noticed the Corsair, low and turning final for runway 20. The Corsair was about 200 feet agl and outside of the treeline. The Corsair's right wing hit the Arrow's left main landing gear at about 100 feet agl, and within the treeline. Both aircraft remained in control and landed
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Visual lookout not maintained by the pilot of the other aircraft.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/4/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1645 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Pell City |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35125 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 333353N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0861500W |
| Event Location Airport | St Colair County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PLR |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 485 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1653 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ANB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 612 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.99 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1758 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 18071 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Com Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 4 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1815 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 13 2005 12:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Birmingham FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N70SR | N71723 |
| NTSB Number | ATL04LA005A | ATL04LA005B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No | No |
| Damage | Substantial | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | -- | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper | Charles |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-180 | War F4V |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-30122 | 239 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes | No |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Shelby Air LLC | Kevin L. James |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 265 Weathervane Rd | 3971 Conutry Highway 45 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Calera | Hayden |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 35040 | 35079 |
| Operator is an individual? | No | No |
| Operator Name | Mark Gregory Etheredge | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 723 Pine Harbor Rd. | -- |
| Operator City | Pell City | -- |
| Operator State | AL | -- |
| Operator Country | USA | -- |
| Operator Zip code | 35128 | -- |
| Operator Code | -- | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | 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 | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | EET | PLR |
| Departure City | Shelby County | Pell City |
| Departure State | AL | AL |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | 1545 | 1615 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | PLR | -- |
| Destination City | Pell City | -- |
| Destination State | AL | -- |
| Destination Country | USA | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing | Approach - VFR pattern - base leg/base to final |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 20 2005 10:38AM | May 20 2005 10:38AM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP | POWP |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 20 | 20 |
| Runway Length | 5002 | 5002 |
| Runway Width | 80 | 80 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |