Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fishers, Indiana 46038
Friday, January 2, 2004 14:20 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with trees during a circling instrument approach. The pilot stated, "Descended to 1340 msl [mean sea level] and continued to 20 DME but did not clear clouds. Descended to 1100 msl and broke through at south end of runway. Remained clear of clouds and entered left, downwind circling approach to rwy [runway] 15 and proceeded with circling north entry. Clipped uppermost small branches of a tree with left wing in the middle of the turn, pulled aircraft higher for clearance and continued approx 1/4 to 1/2 mile to land on rwy 15 without further incident." Weather was: Wind 190 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 17 knots; 3 statute miles visibility; present weather mist; sky condition overcast 300 feet above ground level; altimeter 29.87 inches of mercury. Remarks rain began at 1416 and rain ended at 1428. According to the published instrument approach procedure the circling minimum descent altitude was 1,340 feet msl and its weather minima was 1 statute mile visibility.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot not maintaining altitude/clearance from the trees during the circling approach, his continued descent below minimum descent altitude, and the pilot not performing a missed approach. A factor was the trees the pilot impacted during the circling approach.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/2/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1420 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Fishers |
| Event State | INDIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 46038 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 395607N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0860242W |
| Event Location Airport | INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | UMP |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 330 |
| Airport Elevation | 811 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1433 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 241 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EYE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 811 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| 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) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 17 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.87 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Moderate |
| METAR weather report | KEYE Eagle Creek Airpark Indianapolis, Indiana, U |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15868 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 6 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1130 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 29 2004 7:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Indianapolis, IN, FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N21992 |
| NTSB Number | CHI04LA052 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32RT-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-7885265 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 25 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 23 |
| Airframe Hours | 2475 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Gary P. Jones |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 501 Shelton Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Madison |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 35758 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 501 SHELTON RD |
| Operator City | MADISON |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 35758 |
| 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 | HSV |
| Departure City | HUNTSVILLE |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1210 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | UMP |
| Destination City | Fishers |
| Destination State | IN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 13 2004 10:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 15 |
| Runway Length | 3850 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |