Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Winter Haven's Gilbert Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Winter Haven, Florida 33883
Sunday, November 23, 2008 8:30 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A Piper PA-28-161 airplane had just departed the uncontrolled airport for a local flight, and was making position announcements over the common traffic advisory frequency. It climbed to the north as a Beech V35B airplane approached from the north. The pilot of the Beech airplane was tuned to the automated surface observation system, to prepare for the airport traffic pattern entry. The pilots observed each other as the airplanes approached nearly head on at the same altitude. Both pilots took evasive action and banked sharply to the left. The right wing tip of the Beech airplane contacted the underside of the Piper airplane, resulting in substantial damage to both airplanes. Both airplanes landed without further incident, and the pilots and passengers of both airplanes were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the collision.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Both pilots’ failure to see and avoid the other airplane. Contributing to the accident was the Beech pilot’s failure to monitor or utilize the common traffic advisory frequency.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/23/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 830 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Winter Haven |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33883 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | 280346N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0814511W |
| Event Location Airport | Winter Haven's Gilbert |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GIF |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 145 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 853 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 220 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GIF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 145 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 110 |
| 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) | 30.43 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26687 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 16 2010 3:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4396W | N121DL |
| NTSB Number | ERA09LA067A | ERA09LA067B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | No |
| Damage | Substantial | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | V35 | PA-28-161 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | B | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | D-9592 | 28-8016115 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 | 2325 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 1 2008 12:00AM | Oct 25 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 117 | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3416 | 6600 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MUTERSPAUGH JIMMIE D | N121DL.COM INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- | 20 N LAKE IDYLWILD DR |
| Aircraft Owner City | OCALA | WINTER HAVEN |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 34472-3469 | 33881-1243 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Name | MUTERSPAUGH JIMMIE D | Thomas Thompkins |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- | -- |
| Operator City | OCALA | Lakeland |
| Operator State | FL | FL |
| Operator Country | USA | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 34472-3469 | 33813 |
| Operator Code | -- | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | 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 | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | FD04 | GIF |
| Departure City | Ocala/Belleview | Winter Haven |
| Departure State | FL | FL |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | 800 | 824 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | GIF | GIF |
| Destination City | Winter Haven | Winter Haven |
| Destination State | FL | FL |
| Destination Country | USA | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 4 2010 2:56PM | Apr 16 2010 3:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj | johb |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |