Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bristol, Ohio 43756
Monday, May 12, 2008 11:05 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The accident occurred while the airplane was operating in instrument meteorological conditions on an instrument flight plan. While enroute, the pilot had requested a higher cruise altitude on two separate occasions in an attempt to climb above the cloud tops. The final assigned cruise altitude was 9,000 feet. Infrared satellite imagery indicated that the cloud tops were in excess of 9,700 feet near the accident site. Radar track data showed the airplane level at 9,000 feet when it made a 35-degree right turn off the intended route of flight to an east-northeast course. About 60 seconds later, the airplane made a left turn to a north heading followed by a right spiraling descent. During the final 40 seconds of radar data, the airplane descended from 9,100 to 7,800 feet. The calculated descent rate incrementally increased to approximately 4,200 feet per minute. The increasing spiral course and rapid rate of descent was consistent with a pilot experiencing spatial disorientation. According to air traffic control data, the pilot made no distress call and did not indicate if the airplane had experienced any mechanical difficulties. The pilot also did not report any accumulation of structural ice, although there was a high potential for icing conditions at the cruise altitudes used during the accident flight. The distribution of the wreckage was consistent with an in-flight breakup at low altitude. The on-scene investigation revealed no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have prevented the normal operation of the airplane or its systems.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of control during cruise flight in instrument conditions due to spatial disorientation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/12/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1105 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Bristol |
| Event State | OHIO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 43756 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 394308N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0814324W |
| 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 | 1110 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 339 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KZZV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 900 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 16 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 600 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 3 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.75 |
| 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) | 26785 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Federal Aviation Administratio |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 12 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 30 2010 6:32PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Federal Aviation Administration - Columbus FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7947M |
| NTSB Number | CHI08FA133 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | V35 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | D-8256 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 7 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 91 |
| Airframe Hours | 2616 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Philip Blair Clemmons |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1811 Pine Circle, Southeast |
| Aircraft Owner City | Cullman |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 35055-5433 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Philip Blair Clemmons |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1811 Pine Circle, Southeast |
| Operator City | Cullman |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 35055-5433 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KHTS |
| Departure City | Huntington |
| Departure State | WV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1018 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KROC |
| Destination City | Rochester |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 30 2010 1:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| 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 | -- |