Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Mint Julep Airpark Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Picayune, Mississippi 39573
Friday, January 15, 2010 14:50 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to a witness, the pilot was preparing the accident airplane for a test flight after replacing a ground wire in the avionics. The pilot and passenger boarded the airplane, the engine started, and they made a normal departure to the north. Another witness observed the airplane shortly after it departed. He noticed that the airplane was low and that it appeared that it was about to perform trick-type maneuvers. The airplane rolled to the left and pitched down, impacting the ground shortly thereafter. A postaccident examination of the wreckage and accident site revealed that impact damage signatures on the nose, wings, and fuselage were consistent with a stall and spin, fragmentation of the propeller consistent with engine operation at impact. Weight and balance calculations were performed using weight and balance documents recovered at the site and the actual weights of the occupants. Calculations revealed the airplane was loaded about 250 pounds in excess of the experimental amateur-built kit manufacturer's recommended maximum gross weight, and that that the center of gravity was located more than .25 inches aft of the envelope for the maximum gross weight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the overweight and aft-center-of-gravity condition of the airplane at takeoff.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/15/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1450 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Picayune |
| Event State | MISSISSIPPI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 39573 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 303320N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0892721W |
| Event Location Airport | Mint Julep Airpark |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 5MS5 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 100 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1451 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HSA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 23 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| 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) | 28308 |
| 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 | Jul 18 2011 7:40AM |
| User who most recently changed record | rows |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N107SS |
| NTSB Number | ERA10LA120 |
| 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 | STEELE SAMUEL D |
| Aircraft Model | RV-4 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 001 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1500 |
| 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 | 1345 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BOTTS RANDY J |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | PERKINSTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | MS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 39573-4518 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | BOTTS RANDY J |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | PERKINSTON |
| Operator State | MS |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 39573-4518 |
| 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 | 5MS5 |
| Departure City | Picayune |
| Departure State | MS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1445 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 5MS5 |
| Destination City | Picayune |
| Destination State | MS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 25 2011 2:58PM |
| 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 | -- |