Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
New Smyrna Beach Municipal Air Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
New Smyrna Beach, Florida 32169
Sunday, April 20, 2008 13:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was in cruise flight above its published maneuvering speed, but below its published never-exceed speed, when it experienced "5-6 sharp vibrations" that measured -1 to + 3.9 g's and caused the airplane to pitch up and down violently and roll to the left. At that time, the pilot-rated passenger reported hearing "popping and tearing" from the area of the baggage door. The pilot disengaged the autopilot and slowed the airplane. The vibrations stopped. He then performed a slow descent and completed a safe landing at his destination airport. Examination of the airplane, a monoplane with a "V" tail, revealed downward bending of the rear fuselage with diagonal buckling of the skin on each side, and tearing of the skin on the bottom. The two elevators were found properly attached, and properly balanced. A weather study revealed cumulus clouds developing in the area on the satellite imagery, and therefore the potential for convectively induced turbulence from towering cumulus clouds. The soundings also noted an inversion near the airplane's cruise altitude, with rapidly drying air above. The vertical wind shear was 5 knots per 1,000 feet at that layer, which corresponded to moderate or greater turbulence. There were no weather advisories current along the route of flight during the period of the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadvertent encounter with turbulence that was not forcast.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/20/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1330 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | New Smyrna Beach |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32169 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 290320N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0805656W |
| Event Location Airport | New Smyrna Beach Municipal Air |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | EVB |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 10 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 10 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1747 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EVB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 10 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.24 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25619 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Aircraft Owner |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 21 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 27 2009 9:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Orlando, Florida |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4606D |
| NTSB Number | NYC08LA164 |
| 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 | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | G35 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | D4771 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2725 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| 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 | May 4 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 23 |
| Airframe Hours | 4960 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Bill Toy Associates Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 511 Andros Lane |
| Aircraft Owner City | Indian Harbour Be |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32937 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Bill Toy Associates Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 511 Andros Lane |
| Operator City | Indian Harbour Be |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32937 |
| 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 | PHT |
| Departure City | Paris |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MLB |
| Destination City | Melbourne |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 23 2009 1:23PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| 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 | -- |