Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Asheville, North Carolina 28704
Friday, May 4, 2007 10:58 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While executing an approach in mountainous terrain, the instrument-rated private pilot requested help due to a malfunctioning directional gyro. The controller initiated giving the pilot vectors for a no-gyro approach to the airport, which included a climb. Shortly thereafter, the pilot advised the controller that the attitude indicator had failed. The controller continued to provide guidance to the pilot until radar contact was lost less than 2 minutes later. The airplane impacted a mountain about 2,300 feet below the last assigned altitude. Evidence at the scene indicated that the airplane had entered an uncontrolled descent prior to impact. Examination of the vacuum system revealed that the vacuum inlet line "B-Nut" fitting to the attitude indicator was loose and that contamination had entered the instrument. This indicated there was a leak in the vacuum system, and insufficient vacuum for the associated instruments.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the directional gyro and attitude indicator due to a vacuum system leak caused by a loose fitting. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to execute a partial panel, no-gyro approach.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/4/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1058 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Asheville |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28704 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 352813N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0823537W |
| 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 | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AVL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | -- |
| 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) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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) | 25057 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 4 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 12 2009 8:00PM |
| User who most recently changed record | muzd |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Charlotte FSDO-33 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N735DP |
| NTSB Number | ATL07FA083 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 182Q |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1826534 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | Jun 8 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3762 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Steven R. Garner & Donald W. Gillis |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 125 N. Franklin Street |
| Aircraft Owner City | Dublin |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 31021 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Steven R. Garner & Donald W. Gillis |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 125 N. Franklin Street |
| Operator City | Dublin |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 31021 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | DBN |
| Departure City | DUBLIN |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 925 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | AVL |
| Destination City | ASHEVILLE |
| Destination State | NC |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Missed approach (IFR) |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 12 2009 7:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | muzd |
| 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 | -- |