Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sylacauga Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sylacauga, Alabama 35151
Sunday, September 18, 2011 17:21 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During climb after takeoff, the experimental light sport airplane made an extreme right bank and descended nose-down into a grassy area adjacent to the runway. Although the pilot had recently modified the elevator trim, the in-flight upset was not a pitch upset, and examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The pilot's most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate was issued about 8 years prior to the accident. A few months before the accident, the pilot had applied for another FAA third-class medical certificate; however, it was deferred by the FAA due to the pilot’s history of coronary artery disease, hypertension, lymphoma, and diabetes. The pilot's autopsy subsequently revealed that he suffered a fatal heart attack during the attempted takeoff.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's incapacitation due to a heart attack during takeoff, which led to an in-flight loss of airplane control.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/18/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1721 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Sylacauga |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35151 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 331011N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0861811W |
| Event Location Airport | Sylacauga Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SCD |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 569 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1715 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 160 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ALX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 686 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| 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) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.16 |
| 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) | 29590 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern Region ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 26 2012 3:32PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3577F |
| NTSB Number | ERA11LA496 |
| 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 | AERO ADVENTURE |
| Aircraft Model | ZEPHYR II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | Z21991F |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 655 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ABBOTT TIMOTHY RALPH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | CHILDERSBURG |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 35044-1039 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | ABBOTT TIMOTHY RALPH |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | CHILDERSBURG |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 35044-1039 |
| 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 | SCD |
| Departure City | Sylacauga |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1721 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | SCD |
| Destination City | Sylacauga |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 16 2013 12:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grol |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 27 |
| Runway Length | 5390 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |