Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Josephs Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Georgetown, Delaware 19947
Tuesady, July 26, 2005 15:52 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private pilot reported that while on final approach to land at a private airport, a greater rate of descent developed than desired. He stated he increased engine power by a small amount, but didn't add more power because he didn't want the airplane to "porpoise." He also said he reduced the amount the flaps were extended. He indicated he saw a vehicle approaching from his left on the public road near the approach end of the runway, but thought the airplane would clear it. Moments later, the airplane struck the vehicle, fatally injuring its two occupants. Postaccident inspection disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane. According to FAA publication FAA-H-8083-3, The Airplane Flying Handbook, if an undershoot condition develops during the approach to land, power and pitch attitude should be increased to shallow the angle, but the pilot should not retract the flaps, as that will result in the airplane sinking even more rapidly. The public road where the vehicle was struck was 17.8 feet from the runway threshold. In order to comply with the FAA's recommended minimum of a 15-foot vertical obstruction clearance height, the threshold would have to be displaced approximately 300 feet from the road. The state in which the accident occurred is one of six nationwide that does not provide any regulatory oversight or inspection of private airports.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's misjudged distance/altitude while on final approach to land, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a vehicle. Factors associated with the accident are the pilot's improper use of the flaps, and the state of Delaware's insufficient standards for private airports, which allowed the runway threshold to be in close proximity to a public road.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/26/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1552 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Georgetown |
| Event State | DELAWARE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 19947 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 383756N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0752107W |
| Event Location Airport | Josephs Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | DE49 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 42 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1554 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GED |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 50 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 34 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.86 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 2 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 3 |
| Injury Total All | 5 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 21086 |
| NTSB Notification Source | EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 26 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 26 2007 9:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Philadelphia, PA |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N59RK |
| NTSB Number | IAD05FA110 |
| 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 | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-181 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2890196 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 44.2 |
| Airframe Hours | 794.7 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Richard R.Kauffman |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Las Vegas |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89134 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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 | DE49 |
| Departure City | Georgetown |
| Departure State | DE |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1530 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | DE49 |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 1 2007 2:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MUZD |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 33 |
| Runway Length | 4564 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |