Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Pikeville County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pikeville, Kentucky 41501
Friday, October 7, 2005 15:51 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The instrument rated pilot had received a weather briefing, which included a forecast ceiling of 700 feet and visibility of 4 miles. He then filed an instrument flight plan, and proceeded uneventfully to the destination airport area. He remained in communication with air traffic control, and complied with their instructions, while flying a precision approach to runway 27. However, about 1 mile from the runway threshold, the airplane flew left of the localizer course and below decision height. The airplane subsequently impacted mountainous terrain about 1 mile south of the airport. Weather at the time was oscillating above and below minimums for the instrument approach, which required a ceiling of 200 feet and visibility of 3/4-mile. The published missed approach procedure included a climb to 3,000 feet and then a left climbing turn to 4,000 feet msl. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any to ATC.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to follow the published instrument approach which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. A factor was the low ceiling.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/7/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1551 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Pikeville |
| Event State | KENTUCKY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 41501 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 373250N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0823413W |
| Event Location Airport | Pikeville County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PBX |
| 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 | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1473 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1556 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PBX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1473 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.75 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.81 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 20526 |
| NTSB Notification Source | SROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 7 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 31 2006 8:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Louisville, KY |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N97CM |
| NTSB Number | NYC06FA004 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | A36 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | E-1119 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2593 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Bethlehem Investments Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Pikeville |
| Aircraft Owner State | KY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 41501 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Herman W Lester |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Pikeville |
| Operator State | KY |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 41501 |
| 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 | PAH |
| Departure City | Paducah |
| Departure State | KY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1345 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | PBX |
| Destination City | Pikeville |
| Destination State | KY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - final approach fix (FAF)/outer marker to threshold (IFR) |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 10 2006 5:36PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MUZD |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 27 |
| Runway Length | 5350 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |