Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Spencer Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Milford, Iowa 51351
Wednesday, November 10, 2010 13:53 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The accident occurred during the instrument rated pilot's return flight home after an avionics upgrade, including the installation of flat panel flight displays. The pilot conducted a test flight the day prior to the accident flight with only minor discrepancies noted. There was no record of a preflight weather briefing associated with the accident flight. Radar track data showed the accident airplane on a southwest course at 8,600 feet mean sea level (msl). About 15 minutes prior to the accident, the airplane made a course adjustment to the west, before returning to a southwest course. During this time, the aircraft began a descent to 7,000 feet msl. The final radar data point was located about 1 mile southeast of the accident site. Witnesses reported hearing an airplane flying in a southwest direction. About 2 minutes later, they heard the sound of the engine increase, followed by a "big boom" and then nothing. The accident site was located in an open agricultural field. A postaccident examination of the wreckage did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. Weather data indicated the presence of an overcast cloud layer at 2,300 feet above ground level (agl), with additional cloud layer(s) between 4,000 feet msl and 8,500 feet msl, in the vicinity of the accident site.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of control for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/10/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1353 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Milford |
| Event State | IOWA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 51351 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 431756N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0951943W |
| Event Location Airport | Spencer Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SPW |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 10 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1339 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 143 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SPW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1339 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2300 |
| 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) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.78 |
| 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) | 29002 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-DSM FSDO (Carr) |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 1 2011 2:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3ZX |
| NTSB Number | CEN11LA066 |
| 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 | GEARN GEARY D |
| Aircraft Model | SWEARINGEN SX300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 25 |
| 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 | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 20 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GEARN GEARY D |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | HEREFORD |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 79045-6324 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | GEARN GEARY D |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | HEREFORD |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 79045-6324 |
| 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 | LVN |
| Departure City | Minneapolis |
| Departure State | MN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1240 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | HRX |
| Destination City | Hereford |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 21 2011 8:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| 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 | -- |