Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bunnell, Florida 32110
Friday, August 25, 2006 13:08 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot had received an outlook briefing during the morning hours before the accident. The briefing included information regarding widely scattered thunderstorms and rain showers along portions of the pilot's planned route of flight. At the time of the accident, a convective weather significant to the safety of all aircraft (convective SIGMET) was in effect for the pilot's route of flight, and the information about the convective SIGMET was broadcast to the pilot by air traffic control (ATC). Several airplanes in the vicinity of the accident airplane were deviating around weather. Conversations between the accident pilot and the ATC controller were consistent with the accident airplane's weather radar functioning, and the possibility that the accident airplane's weather radar was providing more information than the ATC weather radar. Although the pilot initially declined a deviation query by ATC, he later accepted one. Shortly after, the pilot was unable to maintain his assigned altitude of 28,000 feet msl (FL 280), and the airplane impacted terrain consistent with a vertical descent. At the time of the accident, at FL 280, weak to moderate weather radar echoes existed. Very strong to intense weather radar echoes were seen about FL 200. The ATC facility was equipped with NEXRAD-derived weather displays. The weather displays had four settings: below FL 240, between FL 240 and FL 330, above FL 330, and from sea level to FL 600. At the time of the accident, the ATC controller's weather display indicated weak to moderate echoes above FL240. Very strong to intense weather radar echoes existed about FL200; however, the ATC controller did not have his weather display set to that altitude as he was not controlling traffic at that altitude. The investigation could not determine if the pilot was aware of the stronger intensity echoes below his altitude, or if the airplane's weather radar was depicting the stronger echoes. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadvertent encounter with thunderstorms.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/25/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1308 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Bunnell |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32110 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 291848N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0811449W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NONE |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1250 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OMN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 29 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| 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) | 22193 |
| NTSB Notification Source | SROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 25 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 27 2007 11:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Orlando, FL |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N171MA |
| NTSB Number | NYC06MA208 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Mitsubishi |
| Aircraft Model | MU-2B-40 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 431 S.A. |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10470 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3802 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Drug and Laboratory Disposal Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Plainwell |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 49080 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Ward T. Walter |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Plainwell |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 49080 |
| 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 | KBMG |
| Departure City | Bloomington |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1030 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MYEM |
| Destination City | Governors Harbo |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | BF |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 5 2007 7:32PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MUZD |
| 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 | -- |