Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Charleston Executive Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Charleston, South Carolina 29406
Wednesday, May 23, 2007 18:50 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot and passenger were conducting a local sightseeing flight in a vintage open-cockpit biplane, with the passenger seated in the front seat and the pilot seated in the rear seat. The airplane was observed maneuvering and descending to a height of about 20 feet above the surface of the water. The airplane then made a climbing right turn toward the southeast, before entering another right bank and descending into the water. Weather conditions reported near the accident site about the time of the accident included winds from 080 degrees at 17 knots, gusting to 22 knots. Postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any preexisting mechanical failures; however, the wreckage was severely fragmented. The control surface lock handle, located in the forward cockpit, was observed in the down (controls locked) position; however, its preaccident position could not be determined. Damage to the surrounding structure, in the vicinity of the control lock handle, suggested that it was displaced downward during the impact sequence. The aft and forward cockpit control surface lock handles remained attached to their common torque tube. The locking mechanism was located in the forward cockpit. If the control lock was engaged during normal phases of flight, the rudder would lock in the faired position, and the ailerons and elevator could still be controlled; however, aileron control would become limited as the stick moved close to its full-forward position. The pilot had logged 870 hours of total civilian flight experience and 60 total hours (5 hours during the 30 days preceding the accident) in the accident airplane. The pilot had a kidney stone found in his left kidney on autopsy and the passenger had a history of diabetes which required insulin use and had recently ingested two unidentified capsules. It was not determined if the pilot's or passenger's medical conditions contributed to the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
An in-flight collision with water for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/23/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1850 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Charleston |
| Event State | SOUTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 29406 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 395924N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0753454W |
| Event Location Airport | Charleston Executive |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | JZI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 8 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 17 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1856 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 315 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CHS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 39 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 17 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 22 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.31 |
| 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) | 25159 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern Region C-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 23 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 2 2009 8:54AM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Columbia, SC |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N55718 |
| NTSB Number | NYC07LA124 |
| 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 | Boeing Stearman |
| Aircraft Model | A75N1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 75-4619 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2950 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1500 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CCR Air Parts & Services |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 143 Live Ok Street |
| Aircraft Owner City | Charleston |
| Aircraft Owner State | SC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 29464 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | CCR Air Parts & Services |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 143 Live Ok Street |
| Operator City | Charleston |
| Operator State | SC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 29464 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | JZI |
| Departure City | Charleston |
| Departure State | SC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 3 2009 11:32AM |
| User who most recently changed record | muzd |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |