Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Darnell's Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Church Hill, Tennessee 37642
Saturday, April 18, 2009 12:44 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During final approach to a turf runway, the pilot of the amateur-built airplane noted that he was too high and the airspeed was 60 to 65 mph. He reduced engine power to descend, and was then distracted while viewing wildlife in a field below him. When the pilot looked back at the airspeed indicator, it displayed 40 mph. The airplane then "stalled" and the pilot felt the left wing drop. The airplane subsequently struck a fence and the nose impacted the ground. The airplane flipped over and came to rest short of the runway. The pilot sustained serious injuries and the airplane was substantially damaged. A witness familiar with the accident airplane reported that its stall speed was in the "mid-30s." A weather observation taken 10 minutes after the accident, at an airport 14 nautical miles away, reported calm winds; however, the pilot recalled wind gusting from his left and from behind after impact. A witness recalled that it was sunny with thermal updrafts and downdrafts. The pilot had over 177 hours of flight experience in the accident airplane.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to avoid an aerodynamic stall during final approach.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/18/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1244 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Church Hill |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 37642 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 363033N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0824054W |
| Event Location Airport | Darnell's Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 77TN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TRI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1519 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.23 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25505 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Pilot |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 28 2009 9:42AM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N582EF |
| NTSB Number | ERA09CA255 |
| 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 | MARTIN EDWARD H |
| Aircraft Model | FIRE STAR II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | EHM-1 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 725 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| 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 | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MARTIN EDWARD H |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | KINGSPORT |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 37660-2955 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | MARTIN EDWARD H |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | KINGSPORT |
| Operator State | TN |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 37660-2955 |
| 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 | RVN |
| Departure City | Rogersville |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1245 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 77TN |
| Destination City | Church Hill |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 28 2009 9:42AM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 35 |
| Runway Length | 1500 |
| Runway Width | 25 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |