Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bird Cay Burkina Faso
Tuesady, April 10, 2007 17:03 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot obtained two data user access terminal service (DUATS) preflight weather briefings for the intended flight from the U.S. to Nassau, Bahamas; the briefings included information that thunderstorms were forecasted. The pilot did not request a weather briefing with DUATS or Lockheed Martin flight service station before departure on the return accident flight. Although there was no way to tell whether he received a preflight weather briefing with Nassau Flight Service Station before departure on the accident flight, thunderstorms with associated severe turbulence were forecasted for the accident area well in advance of the aircraft's departure, and would have been available had the pilot requested/obtained a preflight weather briefing. After takeoff, and while in contact with Nassau terminal radar approach control, which had inoperative primary radar, the flight climbed to approximately 8,000 feet mean sea level and proceeded on a northwesterly heading with little deviation. The airplane, which was equipped with color weather radar and a stormscope, penetrated level 6 radar returns with numerous lightning strikes in the area, and began a steep descent. Prior to that there was no request by the pilot to air traffic control for weather avoidance assistance or weather deviation. Radar and radio communications were lost, and the wreckage and occupants were not recovered.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's poor in-flight weather evaluation, which resulted in flight into a level 6 thunderstorm.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/10/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1703 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | Bird Cay |
| Event State | -- |
| Event Country | BURKINA FASO |
| Zipcode of the event site | -- |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 252146N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0773733W |
| 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 | 1700 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MYNN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 16 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1800 |
| 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) | 9.21 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| 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) | 24128 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 10 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 28 2008 3:01PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Miami International Field Office |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N444JH |
| NTSB Number | MIA07LA073 |
| 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 | -- |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-46-310P |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 46-8608014 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4100 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 6912.5 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Happy Skies, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Bonita Springs |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 34134 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Ernest M. Kollmann |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MYNN |
| Departure City | Nassau |
| Departure State | -- |
| Departure Country | BF |
| Departure Time | 1650 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KFLL |
| Destination City | Fort Lauderdale |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 14 2008 9:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| 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 | -- |