Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Centre Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Centre, Alabama 35960
Saturday, April 4, 2009 12:47 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Witnesses reported that during takeoff the airplane climbed to approximately 20 to 50 feet, rolled to the left into a steep bank angle, and then descended and collided with powerlines and a house. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the right rudder pedal control tube was missing the rod attachment bolt, retainer nut, and cotter pin. According to the airplane manufacturer the push pull tube system discovered during the examination was not installed at the factory and no record of the install was located in the airframe logbooks. Examination of the engine, additional flight control system components, and the aircraft structure revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inability to maintain aircraft control during climb due to an improperly installed rudder pedal control tube.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/4/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1247 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Centre |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35960 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 340954N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0853806W |
| Event Location Airport | Centre Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | C22 |
| 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 | 619 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 1255 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GAD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 569 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.02 |
| 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) | 26319 |
| 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 | Mar 9 2010 1:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8560E |
| NTSB Number | ERA09LA230 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CHAMPION |
| Aircraft Model | 7HC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 7HC-9 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1650 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 19 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2013 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WEISS LAKE AREA DEVELOPMENT INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 50 COUNTY ROAD 537 |
| Aircraft Owner City | CENTRE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 35960-6101 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Thomas Harley Mcgatha |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 50 COUNTY ROAD 537 |
| Operator City | CENTRE |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 35960-6101 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | C22 |
| Departure City | Centre |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1247 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PYP |
| Destination City | Centre |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 9 2010 2:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 09 |
| Runway Length | 3401 |
| Runway Width | 80 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |