Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cedartown, Georgia 30125
Friday, July 20, 2012 8:35 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-instrument-rated pilot departed on a cross-country visual flight rules flight. It is unknown whether he obtained a weather briefing before the flight. About an hour and a half after departing, he encountered instrument meteorological conditions. Witnesses described hearing the airplane, but they could not see the airplane due to the inclement weather. The airplane impacted the ground in a left-wing-low and nose-down attitude, indicating that the airplane likely stalled. Based on the witness descriptions of the airplane circling above, it is likely that the pilot was trying to navigate out of the inclement weather, did not maintain airspeed, and lost control. Examination of the airplane wreckage revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations.
The accident site was located within an area covered by an AIRMET for instrument flight rules conditions due to ceilings below 1,000 feet above ground level (agl) and for visibility less than 3 miles. The location was also immediately south of the boundary for a convective SIGMET for an area of embedded thunderstorms moving southeasterly at 20 knots with cloud tops to 45,000 feet agl. Witnesses reported low ceilings, rain, and fog at the time of the accident.
Although venlafaxine, which can cause drowsiness, weakness, or dizziness, was found in the pilot’s blood, the levels were such that the investigation was unable to determine if the pilot was impaired at the time of the accident. The investigation also did not determine if he was affected by the underlying psychiatric disorder this medication would have been used to treat.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The non-instrument-rated pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering for a forced landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/20/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 835 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Cedartown |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30125 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 335412N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0852055W |
| 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 | 835 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 130 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CTJ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1165 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| 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) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.07 |
| 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) | 31646 |
| 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 2013 1:56PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N25UA |
| NTSB Number | ERA12FA467 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BRENHOLT LARRY R |
| Aircraft Model | RV-4 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2131 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| 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 | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MURPHY RONALD J |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | CALLAHAN |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32011-4784 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | MURPHY RONALD J |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | CALLAHAN |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32011-4784 |
| 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 | 01J |
| Departure City | Hilliard |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 700 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | RNC |
| Destination City | MCminnville |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 18 2013 1:56PM |
| 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 | -- |