Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Winchester, Tennessee 37398
Friday, November 5, 2010 9:18 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The accident airplane was one of two airplanes on a multi-leg, cross-country flight. The airplanes were operating at 2,500 feet mean sea level (msl), at 200 knots, with an overcast cloud layer about 300 feet above them. The pilots encountered deteriorating weather conditions about 40 miles prior to a planned fuel stop. The lead pilot turned to its left, and according to data extracted from the GPS receiver on board, the accident pilot initiated a climb, and then a course reversal to the right. During the turn to the right, the airplane climbed to nearly 3,800 feet, slowed to 144 knots, descended to 2,000 feet and accelerated to 255 knots, climbed back to 4,000 feet and slowed to 39 knots at the second-to-last data plot which was in the vicinity of the crash site. Two witnesses said they heard the airplane, and one witness observed it before ground contact. Examination of the crash site and the wreckage revealed damage to the trees and the airplane that were consistent with a near vertical descent and engine power at impact. The pilot of the lead airplane stated that he checked the weather prior to their departure, and that the weather conditions were clear all the way to their destination. However, AIRMETs for icing conditions from the surface to 10,000 feet, as well as for mountain obscuration due to clouds and precipitation were current along the planned route of flight in the area surrounding the accident site. The airplane's rapid, near-vertical descent, turning ground track and the meteorological conditions are consistent with the pilot's loss of control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadvertent climb and entry into instrument meteorological conditions during a course reversal, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a loss of control.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/5/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 918 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Winchester |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 37398 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 350032N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0860014W |
| 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 | 918 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 170 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KBGF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 979 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1600 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 900 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 3 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.93 |
| 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) | 28557 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern CROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 10 2011 9:11AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7SY |
| NTSB Number | ERA11LA048 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR/IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEAN R E/R B WELD INC |
| Aircraft Model | GLASAIR III |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3063 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | R B WELD INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | PORT ORANGE |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32128-6845 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | R B WELD INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | PORT ORANGE |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32128-6845 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 7FL6 |
| Departure City | Port Orange |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 741 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SYI |
| Destination City | Shelbyville |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 14 2011 11:49AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |