Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chester, Arkansas 72934
Thursday, October 21, 2004 14:04 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During a cross-country flight, the non-instrument rated private pilot encountered instrument meteorological conditions, and the airplane was destroyed after impacting the terrain in a nose low attitude. Prior to the flight, the pilot obtained a weather briefing and the briefer informed the pilot that a VFR flight was not recommended. Personnel located at the departure airport stated prior to the flight, the pilot and passenger seemed tired and anixous to get home. Radar data depicted the airplane traveling in a west-northwesterly direction, then, approximately 4 minutes prior to the accident, the airplane executed a series of 360-degree turns. A witness located 1/4 mile from the accident site, reported misty and foggy weather conditions and visibility approximately 200 feet. The airplane came to rest on a rocky, open, 20-degree sloping hillside, and there were no ground scars noted except for the scars beneath the main wreckage. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal flight operations.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inadequate planning/decision which resulted in VFR flight into IMC, and his failure to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to follow the briefing recommendation, fog, mist, and observation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/21/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1404 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Chester |
| Event State | ARKANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 72934 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 354100N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0941501W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1416 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 200 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KFSM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 469 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 22 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 26 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Obscured |
| 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) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.92 |
| 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) | 18230 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Ctr |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 21 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1500 |
| 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 | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Little Rock, Arkansas |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3889B |
| NTSB Number | DEN05FA012 |
| 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 | F35 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | D-4139 |
| 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 24 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 48.8 |
| Airframe Hours | 4248.7 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | H. N. McCutchen |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO Box 96 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Tryon |
| Aircraft Owner State | OK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 74875 |
| 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 | M97 |
| Departure City | Tunica |
| Departure State | MS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1230 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SWO |
| Destination City | Stillwater |
| Destination State | OK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 28 2005 11:51AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |