Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Columbia, Missouri 65201
Tuesady, September 22, 2009 9:35 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Due to adverse weather conditions, the pilot landed at a grass airstrip en route to his destination. The airport manager stated that a front was approaching the airport and that it rained all night. According to the airport manager, the pilot returned to the airport the next morning, started the airplane, and taxied to the fuel pump. The right fuel cap was missing. He drained the fuel sump repeatedly because he found water in the right tank. The airport manager gave the pilot a fuel cap for the right tank so that he could depart. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying 50–60 feet above the ground with the engine sputtering and cutting in and out prior to the accident. Airplane impact damage was consistent with a steep nose-down attitude with about 80 degrees of left roll. Witnesses reported heavy cloud cover and limited visibility due to light-to-moderate fog. Observed weather near the accident site was 1/4 mile visibility in fog with an indefinite ceiling at 100 feet. The Weather Depiction Chart depicted an area of instrument-flight-rule (IFR) conditions along and behind the cold front. The accident site was located in an area of IFR conditions, with the departure and planned destination airports under visual flight rules (VFR) conditions. The pilot was not instrument rated, and the airplane was not equipped for IFR flight. The inspection of the engine and airframe revealed no preimpact anomalies. The propeller blades were bent aft from impact forces.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which included low ceilings and fog, and his failure to maintain control of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the partial loss of engine power as a result of water contamination of the fuel.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/22/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 935 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Columbia |
| Event State | MISSOURI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 65201 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 385139N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0920807W |
| 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 | 854 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 60 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | COU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 889 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Indefinite (V V) |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.99 |
| 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) | 26716 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-Kansas City FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 26 2010 11:52AM |
| User who most recently changed record | guzj |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3234M |
| NTSB Number | CEN09LA597 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-12 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 12-2113 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1750 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 6 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1369 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Dolphin Sales Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1149 Route 315 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Wilkes-Barre |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 18702 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Jared Hobaugh |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Benton |
| Operator State | KS |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 67017 |
| 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 | 4MO |
| Departure City | Montgomery City |
| Departure State | MO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 845 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 4 2010 10:03AM |
| User who most recently changed record | silj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |