Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Bay Minette Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bay Minette, Alabama 36507
Sunday, March 28, 2004 3:15 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Upon arriving at the destination airport the pilot discovered that instrument weather conditions existed. The pilot elected to divert to another airport where weathers conditions were thought to be better. When the visual flight arrived at the uncontrolled airport, the pilot again discovered reduced visibility and foggy conditions. According to the pilot, he attempted two visual approaches to land but executed go-arounds because of reduced weather conditions. However, at about 15 feet above the ground, on the third approach to land, the pilot recalled hearing something striking the airplane, he felt a thump as the airplane collided with trees and the ground. No mechanical problems with the airplane were reported by the pilot. According to the pilot, during the preflight weather briefing visual weather conditions were forecast for the entire flight. The pilot did not report requesting or receiving updated weather data while en route.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate inflight decision which resulted in continued VFR flight into IMC conditions, and his failure to maintain clearance which resulted in a collision with trees. A factor was the fog.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/28/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 315 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Bay Minette |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 36507 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | -- |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | 305223N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0874904W |
| Event Location Airport | Bay Minette Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 1R8 |
| 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 | 80 |
| Airport Elevation | 248 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 353 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 40 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BFM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 26 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.18 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 30 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17876 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Com Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 28 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 625 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 7 2005 10:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Birmingham FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N605AM |
| NTSB Number | ATL04LA087 |
| 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 | Aircraft MFG & Development Co. |
| Aircraft Model | Alarus CH2T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 20-1016 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1600 |
| 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 | Mar 15 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 25.1 |
| Airframe Hours | 236.4 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Aircraft Manufacturing & Development Co. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 205 Curry Street |
| Aircraft Owner City | Carson City |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89703 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Phil's Flying Enterprises, Inc |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2600 Cessna Lane, Ste 202 |
| Operator City | Kennesaw |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 30062 |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FYY |
| Departure City | Marietta |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2315 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 1R8 |
| Destination City | Bay Minette |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 15 2005 9:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 08 |
| Runway Length | 4280 |
| Runway Width | 80 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |