Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jay, Oklahoma 74346
Saturday, December 16, 2006 18:03 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The un-licensed pilot and three passengers were on a local flight at night in a 300-hoursepower high performance airplane when the engine lost power. The pilot elected to extend the airplane's landing gear and perform an emergency landing to a lake. Upon water impact, the airplane nosed over and came to a rest partially submerged in an inverted position. The pilot exited the airplane unassisted and the three passengers remained onboard and subsequently drowned. At the accident site a local law enforcement officer detected a "strong" smell of alcohol on the pilot's breath and that his speech was slurred. When asked if he had been drinking the pilot replied that he had consumed two margaritas several hours earlier. Five bottles of liquor were found in the airplane, with four of the five bottles found to be open. The pilot was forced to submit to a blood draw about five hours and forty minutes after the accident and was arrested on anticipated charges of three counts of first degree manslaughter. Toxicological testing on blood samples from the pilot tested negative for blood alcohol. The pilot did not hold, nor had ever held a pilot or medical/student pilot certificate. Despite repeated attempts by the IIC, the pilot declined to submit a completed Pilot Operator Aircraft Accident Report Form (NTSB Form 6120.1). The pilot also declined to submit his pilot logbook for examination. It could not be determined how much flight time the pilot had accrued; however, the pilot reported to local law enforcement officers that he had not logged a flight in the previous five months. FAA records revealed the pilot purchased the airplane approximately nine months prior to the accident. The previous owner, a certificated flight instructor (CFI), reported that he had instructed the pilot in the airplane for approximately 10-hours. An examination of the airplane was performed. No pre impact anomalies were noted. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the pilot's improper decision to extend the landing gear for the water landing. Contributing factors were the prevailing night conditions and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/16/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1803 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Jay |
| Event State | OKLAHOMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 74346 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 362970N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0945414W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| 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 | 1756 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 50 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GMJ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 830 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| 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) | 20 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.84 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 21944 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 16 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 25 2007 12:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N39858 |
| NTSB Number | DFW07FA039 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bellanca |
| Aircraft Model | 17-30A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 73-30488 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3000 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Thomas Brent Caldwell |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5868 W 493 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Pryor |
| Aircraft Owner State | OK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 74361 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | H71 |
| Departure City | PRYOR |
| Departure State | OK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1715 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 19 2007 4:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |