Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
General Dewitt Spain Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Memphis, Tennessee 38127
Friday, May 6, 2005 12:40 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot purchased the one-seat airplane and had never flown this make and model before. A witness standing at the airport's midfield reported the airplane's takeoff appeared normal, and the airplane entered the airport's traffic pattern and made one bounced landing. Witnesses stated the airplane then made several traffic patterns, and each time around, the airplane got lower and slower. According to a witness, on the airplane's last pattern, it turned base and was very slow with the nose high, and when it turned final, it spun about half a turn to the left and dove straight into the ground. Examination of the accident site revealed the airplane came to rest nose-down approximately 500 feet short of the runway 34 threshold. Examination of the airframe and powerplant revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's misjudgment of distance/altitude, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed resulting in a stall and subsequent undershoot.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/6/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1240 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Memphis |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 38127 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 351202N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0900314W |
| Event Location Airport | GENERAL DEWITT SPAIN |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | M01 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 224 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 158 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KMEM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 341 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.21 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 18891 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 6 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 31 2006 7:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA Memphis FSDO - 25 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5164J |
| NTSB Number | ATL05LA078 |
| 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 | Earnest |
| Aircraft Model | Jodel D-9 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | -- |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 212 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Robert Burns Greer |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 9121 Hester Beasley Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Nashville |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 37221 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KM01 |
| Departure City | Memphis |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1210 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Nashville |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - final approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 31 2005 3:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |