Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Ashville, North Carolina 28801
Saturday, December 30, 2006 11:00 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The private pilot was conducting a Title 14, CFR Part 91 cross-country personal flight with three passengers. While over an area of mountainous terrain, weather conditions began to deteriorate with fog, low ceilings, and poor visibility. The weather conditions worsened, and the airplane entered a fog bank. The pilot reported that after losing all visual reference with the mountainous terrain below, he leveled the airplane's wings, and began a shallow descent. As the airplane emerged from the fog bank, the pilot saw a tree-covered mountain slope about 100 feet ahead, and he selected a forced landing site in the trees. During the forced landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's continued VFR cruise flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a forced landing and collision with trees. Factors associated with the accident were fog and low ceilings.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/30/2006
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1100
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City Ashville
Event State NORTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 28801
Event Date Year 2006
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 355908N
Event Location Longitude 0825300W
Event Location Airport --
Event Location Nearest Airport ID --
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport --
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID --
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 8
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 6
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator --
Wind Speed (knots) --
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.48
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 21349
NTSB Notification Source Atlanta FAA, ROC
NTSB Notification Date Dec 30 2006 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Apr 25 2007 2:54PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\lema
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Charlotte, North Carolina, FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2319L
NTSB Number ANC07CA010
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 Beech
Aircraft Model BE-23
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number M-145
Certified Max Gross Weight 2205
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 Dec 1 2006 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 4
Airframe Hours 4016.6
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Gerald R. Ducatte
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Worthington
Aircraft Owner State OH
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 43085
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 OSU
Departure City COLUMBUS
Departure State OH
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 835
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code 0A7
Destination City HENDERSONVILLE
Destination State NC
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 13 2007 1:47PM
User who most recently changed record LABJ
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --