Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Macdill Afb Auxiliary Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Avon Park, Florida 33825
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 20:53 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Prior to the flight, the crew attended a mass briefing with the military training exercise personnel for whose operations the flight was to provide aerial support. The briefing included weather forecast information but did not include any indication of rain showers, thunderstorms, or other hazardous weather over the military operations area or near the landing airport for the period of operations. During the flight, the weather in the area began to deteriorate. Other pilots, ground personnel, and witnesses reported periods of heavy rain and reduced visibility. Infrared satellite imagery for the time period of the accident flight depicted an area of cumulus congestus cloud development over south-central Florida, north of a stationary frontal boundary, moving north. Ground personnel were monitoring the deteriorating weather as the accident airplane continued its mission. Although there may have been discussions of a weather recall, the evidence indicates that this did not occur. The accident pilot likely discontinued his mission and initiated a return to the airport due to the weather conditions. The airplane was not equipped with weather radar. As the airplane approached the airport from the north in night conditions, it encountered the edge of an area of echoes with a maximum core reflectivity of 55 decibels; such echoes are capable of producing severe turbulence and strong outflow winds. The right wing separated in flight, and the airplane crashed inverted in a farm pasture west of the airfield. An examination of the wreckage did not reveal evidence of a preexisting mechanical malfunction or failure. All observed fracture surfaces on the right wing showed indications of overstress.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadvertent encounter with an unexpected intense rain shower with severe turbulence at night.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/17/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2053 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Avon Park |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33825 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 273819N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0812459W |
| Event Location Airport | MacDill AFB Auxiliary Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AGR |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 4 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 68 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2055 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 80 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BOW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 125 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| 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) | 30.12 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29495 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Highlands County Sheriff's Off |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 10 2012 7:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | gagc |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1309 |
| NTSB Number | ERA11GA066 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | M337B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0015 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4300 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 14 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5567 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SAVELY ROBERT S |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAUSALITO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94965-2050 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Patriot Technologies Group LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Washington |
| Operator State | DC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| 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) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | AGR |
| Departure City | Avon Park |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1920 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | AGR |
| Destination City | Avon Park |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 19 2011 11:10AM |
| User who most recently changed record | gots |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 05 |
| Runway Length | 8000 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |