Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Walker County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jasper, Alabama 35503
Sunday, June 29, 2008 7:56 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-instrument-rated pilot overloaded his airplane and intentionally departed into an overcast ceiling without filing a flight plan. The radar target identified as the accident airplane diverged from its intended southerly course to an S-shaped northerly track, and climbed and descended between 1,300 feet and 2,600 feet at speeds that varied between 100 knots and 160 knots. The final radar targets depicted a descent and were clustered approximately over the crash site, 1 mile west of the departure airport. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical anomalies. According to Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular 61-134, one of the leading causes of general aviation accidents is "continued VFR [visual flight rules] flight into IMC [instrument meteorological conditions]... The importance of complete weather information, understanding the significance of the weather information, and being able to correlate the pilot's skills and training, aircraft capabilities, and operating environment with an accurate forecast cannot be emphasized enough... VFR pilots in reduced visual conditions may develop spatial disorientation and lose control..." It was reported that the pilot had operated under VFR in IMC on several occasions prior to the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's intentional visual flight into known instrument meteorological conditions, resulting in spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of control in flight. Contributing to the accident was the overweight and aft-center-of-gravity condition of the airplane at takeoff.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/29/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 756 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Jasper |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35503 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 335413N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0872015W |
| Event Location Airport | Walker County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | JFX |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 482 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 756 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 328 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | 1M4 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 930 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 26 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| 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) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| 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) | -- |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25380 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 29 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 1 2009 10:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | muzd |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Birningham, AL FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N727BC |
| NTSB Number | NYC08FA231 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | 95-B55 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TC2446 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5100 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 39 |
| Airframe Hours | 1756 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Crump Nissan, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Jasper |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 35501 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Bobby R. Crump |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Jasper |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 35501 |
| 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 | JFX |
| Departure City | Jasper |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 751 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | JKA |
| Destination City | Gulf Shores |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 1 2009 10:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | muzd |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 27 |
| Runway Length | 5003 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |