Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wilmington International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wrightsville Bh, North Carolina 28480
Sunday, August 28, 2005 2:12 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-instrument-rated private pilot was observed to drink an unknown quantity of one or more alcoholic beverages within 2 hours of the flight that departed about 0208 and crashed 4 minutes later. Radar data showed the flight headed eastbound to the coast, climbed to about 1,200 feet, then crossed over the coastline. Immediately there after, it entered a 360-degree turn to the right and descended rapidly into the ocean. Reported weather conditions at 0153 included ceilings broken at 300 feet, temperature 23 degrees centigrade, and dew point 22 degrees centigrade. Flight control and engine control continuity could not be determined from the available wreckage, however, the size of the recovered pieces was consistent with a high-energy impact with the water. According to FAA advisory circular 60-4A, "Lack of natural horizon or surface reference is common on over-water flights, at night, and especially at night in extremely sparsely populated areas or in low visibility conditions...can provide inaccurate visual information for aligning the aircraft correctly with the actual horizon. The disoriented pilot may place the aircraft in a dangerous attitude." The toxicology report for specimens from the pilot noted ethanol and butalbital (a prescription barbiturate) in muscle and evidence of putrefaction. A glass pipe found on the pilot tested positive for THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the primary active substance in marijuana.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper preflight decision to attempt night VFR flight into IMC, which resulted in an inflight encounter with weather and the pilot's subsequent loss of control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/28/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 212 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Wrightsville Bh |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28480 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 341517N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0774419W |
| Event Location Airport | Wilmington International |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KILM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 8.2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 32 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 153 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 286 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KILM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 32 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 8 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| 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) | 29.89 |
| 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) | 20601 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NTSB Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 28 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 29 2006 12:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA - Greensboro FSDO - 05 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N88PS |
| NTSB Number | ATL05LA154 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | Y |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Samson |
| Aircraft Model | Seawind 3000 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | -- |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Samson Flying Service |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3511 Silverside Rd Ste 105 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Wilmington |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19810 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Bracey Myron Bobbitt |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1188 Bayshore Dr |
| Operator City | Nebo |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 28761 |
| 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 | KILM |
| Departure City | Wilmington |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 208 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | unknown |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Unknown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 26 2006 11:06AM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |