Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pavo, Georgia 31778
Thursday, August 27, 2009 11:17 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot left the departure airport on a visual flight rules flight. He did not file a flight plan. While over the accident site, the pilot entered into instrument meteorological conditions, with multiple layers of clouds, rain, and mist. Weather reporting locations near the accident site reported instrument flight rules conditions with thunderstorms and rain, ceiling overcast at 500 to 600 feet above ground level. The National Weather Service area forecast expected widely scattered to numerous rain showers and thunderstorms over the region at the time of the accident. Examination of the crash site indicated that the left wing separated from the airplane in an upward direction while in flight. Fractures in the wing spar were consistent with overstress separation. Examination of the aircraft and engine showed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction prior to separation of the left wing.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, with embedded intense thunderstorms, heavy rain, and severe to extreme turbulence, resulting in an in-flight separation of the left wing due to overstress.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/27/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1117 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Pavo |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 31778 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 305630N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0834321W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1100 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 338 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MGR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 294 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| 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) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.06 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27437 |
| 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 | Oct 22 2010 10:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N654GT |
| NTSB Number | ERA09FA487 |
| 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 | SOCATA |
| Aircraft Model | TB20 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2208 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3080 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 25 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 30 |
| Airframe Hours | 297 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RFM TECHNICAL CONSULTING LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3581 SW 146TH TER |
| Aircraft Owner City | MIRAMAR |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33027-3737 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Robert F. Moreland |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | MIRAMAR |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 33027-3737 |
| 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 | MGM |
| Departure City | Montgomery |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1001 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | HWO |
| Destination City | Hollywood |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 10 2010 2:23PM |
| 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 | -- |