Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Whitfield, Alabama 36925
Thursday, September 13, 2007 16:20 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane’s owner and his wife deplaned at their vacation destination, before the pilot departed on the return trip to the airplane’s home base. After a lengthy discussion about the approaching storm from the west, the pilot concurred with the owner on a route of flight that would take the airplane east, then north to avoid the storm, before eventually heading west towards its ultimate destination. Instead, the radar data depicted a northerly track for the airplane after departure, before it turned on a northwesterly track directly towards its destination. An air traffic controller advised the pilot of “significant” weather along his route of flight, the pilot acknowledged the radio call, and confirmed that he was “weather radar equipped.” A Significant Meteorology Information (SIGMET) was issued for severe embedded thunderstorms in the area that included the route of flight at the time of the accident. Examination of weather radar data revealed “intense” and “extreme” weather in the area of the accident site at the time of the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s intentional flight into known thunderstorms.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/13/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1620 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Whitfield |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 36925 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 322349N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0880437W |
| 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 | 1652 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 240 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | NMM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 317 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.99 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24634 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern Region ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 14 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 19 2008 8:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Birningham, AL |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N109PA |
| NTSB Number | NYC07FA226 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | Y |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-301 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3246053 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3615 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 4 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 6 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 76 |
| Airframe Hours | 2024 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DITTA AVIATION LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3620 STADIUM BLVD |
| Aircraft Owner City | JONESBORO |
| Aircraft Owner State | AR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 72404-9382 |
| 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 | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | JKA |
| Departure City | Gulf Shores |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1534 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | JBR |
| Destination City | Jonesboro |
| Destination State | AR |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise - normal |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 19 2008 9:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |