Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Fayette County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sommerville, Tennessee
Monday, December 1, 2014 19:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On December 1, 2014, about 1930 central standard time, a Piper PA-28-235, N8607W, collided with terrain during an uncontrolled descent in Somerville, Tennessee. The private pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and was operated by a private individual. The personal flight was conducted in night, instrument meteorological conditions and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed from Fayette County Airport (FYE), Somerville, Tennessee, about 1915.
According to the wife of the pilot, she last saw the airplane in their hanger on the night of the accident. She believed that her husband was going to taxi over to the fuel pumps to refuel the airplane for a trip he was planning. When he did not come home that evening she contacted the local authorities to report that her husband was missing. The local sheriff's department searched the airport and did not locate the airplane. The Federal Aviation Administration was contacted by the sheriff's department and an Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued.
A witness stated that, on the night of the accident, it was dark and misting. He heard an airplane flying overhead, and then heard the engine "rev up" before hearing a loud crash. The witness said that he believed he heard an airplane crash but did not report the incident to the local authorities. On the following day after hearing that an airplane was missing he contacted the authorities and directed them in the direction of the sound he heard. A search ensued and the airplane was located ¾ from FYE on December 2, at 1000. It was in a heavily wooded area, and the debris path was on a 160 degree magnetic heading and was approximately 100 feet in length. Throughout the debris path there were several fresh cut tree limbs. All flight control surfaces were located at the accident site.
At 1850, the automated weather observation station at the Olive Branch Airport (OLV), Olive Brach, Mississippi, reported wind 020 degrees at 09 knots, visibility 4 statute miles with mist, cloud conditions overcast at 400 feet above ground level (agl), temperature 01 degrees Celsius, dew point 01 degrees Celsius, altimeter setting 30.42 inches of mercury. Olive Branch is located about 25 miles southwest from the accident site.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/1/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1930 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Sommerville |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | -- |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 350712N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0891424E |
| Event Location Airport | Fayette County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FYE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 200 |
| Airport Elevation | 436 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1850 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 200 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OLV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 436 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 25 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 400 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.42 |
| 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) | -- |
| 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 | Dec 15 2014 2:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | -- |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8607W |
| NTSB Number | ERA15FA066 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Unknown |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-235 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-10122 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 2 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2958 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FLOYD MICHAEL E |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAMAR |
| Aircraft Owner State | MS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 386429781 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | FLOYD MICHAEL E |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| 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 | FYE |
| Departure City | Sommerville |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1915 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 15 2014 2:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |