# Accident 20010213001869A: Cessna 421, Anniston, AL, February 13, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 13, 2001, 18:40 local time - Place: Anniston, AL - Airport: Anniston Metropolitan Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Final Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.5248° N, 85.9521° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.5248&lon=-85.9521&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5AY, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5AY-2017-04-13) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 421 (registry code 2076010, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-421) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental GTSIO-520 series (registry code 17046, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-gtsio-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 421 - Reported engine: CONT GTSIO520D - People aboard: 5 - Fatal injuries: 5 - Pilot flight hours: 2,000 total, 29 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL01FA036](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL01FA036) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010213001869A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON FEBRUARY 13, 2001AT 1840 CST, CESSNA N5AY, COLLIDED WITH THE SOUTHEAST BANK OF THE CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK NEAR MUNFORD, ALABAMA, WHILE MANUEVERING FOR A VISUAL LANDING. THE A/C WAS DESTROYED, THE PILOT AND FOUR PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE DISCLOSED THAT THE WRECKAGE DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED OVER AN AREA APPROX. 150 FEET LONG AND 25 FEET WIDE. WRECKAGE DEBRIS WAS ORIENTATED PERPENDICULAR TO A BERM WHICH WAS ORIENTATED ON A 240 DEGREES MAGNETIC HEADING. THE MAIN WRECKAGE RESTED AT THE WATERLINE OF THE CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK. THE A/C WAS BROKEN INTO SEVERAL PIECESAND WAS SUBMERGED OR EMBEDDED INTO THE BANK OF THE CREEK. (.19)ON FEBRUARY 13, 2001, AT 1840 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 421, N5AY, COLLIDED WITH THE SOUTHEAST BANK OF CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK NEAR MUNFORD, ALABAMA, WHILE MANEUVERING FOR A VISUAL LANDING . THE BUSINESS FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY H & H COLOR LABORATORY INC., UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE PILOT AND HIS FOUR PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED HAMILTON, OHIO, AT AN UNDETERMINED TIME. ACCORDING TO BIRMINGHAM APPROACH CONTROL, AT 1816:25, THEY RECEIVED N5AY AS A NON-RADAR HANDOFF FROM ATLANTA, CENTER OVER GADSDEN, ALABAMA. AT 1816, THE PILOT OF N5AY RADIOED BIRMINGHAM APPROACH WITH A POSITION REPORT AND ALTITUDE. THE PILOT TOLD THE CONTROLLER THAT HE INTENDED TO SHOT THE ILS TO ANNISTON, ALABAMA, THE PILOT WAS ISSUED RADAR VECTOR INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SEVEN MILE ARC. AT1834:11, THE PILOT CANCELED HIS INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN AND TOLD THE CONTROLLER THAT HE WAS BELOW THE WEATHER AND WOULD BE GOING TO TALLADEGA, ALABAMA. AT 1834:30, RADAR SERVICE WAS TERMINATED. AT APPROXIMATELY 1842, LOCAL RESIDENTS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE HEARD WHAT WAS DESCRIBED AS A "LOUD BOOM" AND WHEN HE WENT TO INVESTIGATE HE SAW WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS A "LARGE FIRE". HE IMMEDIATELY TELEPHONED THE 911 OPERATOR AND REPORTED THE OCCURRENCE. THE EAR WITNESS AND A FRIEND WENT TO THE LOCATION OF THE FIRE AND FOUND THE DOWNED AIRPLANE.EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE DISCLOSED THAT AIRPLANE WRECKAGE DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED OVER AN AREA APPROXIMATELY 150 LONG AND 25 FEET WIDE. WRECKAGE DEBRIS WAS ORIENTATED PERPENDICULAR TO A BERM WHICH WAS ORIENTATED ON A 240 DEGREES MAGNETIC HEADING. THE MAIN WRECKAGE RESTED AT THE WATERLINE OF CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK. THE AIRPLANE WAS BROKEN INTO SEVERAL PIECES AND WAS SUBMERGED OR EMBEDDED INTO THE BANK OF THE CREEK. (.4) HISTORY OF FLIGHT: ON FEBRUARY 13, 2001, AT 1840 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 421, N5AY, REGISTERED TO H & H COLOR LABORATORY INC., COLLIDED WITH THE SOUTHEAST BANK OF CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK NEAR MUNFORD, ALABAMA, WHILE MANEUVERING FOR A VISUAL APPROACH AND LANDING TO THE TALLADEGA AIRPORT IN TALLADEGA, ALABAMA. THE BUSINESS FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY H & H COLOR LABORATORY INC., UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN FILED. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN CANCELED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED, AND THE PILOT AND FOUR PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED HAMILTON, OHIO, AT 1557. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS WERE RETURNING TO TALLADEGA, ALABAMA, AFTER A BUSINESS MEETING IN OHIO. THE PILOT FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN TO ANNISTON, ALABAMA, BEFORE LEAVING HAMILTON, OHIO. WHILE EN ROUTE AT 1557 HOURS, AIR TRAFFIC CONT ROL (ATC) ADVISED THE PILOT OF N5AY THAT THE AIRPLANE'S TRANSPONDER WAS NOT WORKING. ATC REQUESTED POSITION REPORTING FROM N5AY DURING THE FLIGHT. AT 1816:25, BIRMINGHAM APPROACH CONTROL RECEIVED N5AY AS A NON-RADAR HANDOFF FROM ATLANTA CENTER, EIGHT MILES NORTHEAST OF GADSDEN, ALABAMA. AT 1817:44, THE PILOT OF N5AY RADIOED BIRMINGHAM APPROACH TO REPORT DESCENDING FROM SEVEN THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED TO SIX THOUSAND. AT 1820:04, THE PILOT ADVISED THE CONTROLLER OF INTENTIONS FOR THE ILS APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 5 AT ANNISTON, ALABAMA. THE PILOT WAS ISSUED RADAR VECTORS AND INSTRUCTED TO JOIN THE SEVEN-MILE ARC. AT 1825:04, BIRMINGHAM APPROACH INSTRUCTED N5AY TO DESCEND TO 4,000 FEET. AT 1830:06, BIRMINGHAM APPROACH STATED, "N5AY, AS SOON AS YOU'RE ESTABLISHED ON THE SEVEN-MILE ARC, DESCEND AND MAINTAIN THREE THOUSAND UNTIL PASSING CLARK INTERSECTION, AND YOU'RE CLEARED FOR THE ILS FIVE APPROACH TO ANNISTON." AT 1830:18, THE PILOT OF N5AY REPLIED, "UH, ROGER, UNDERSTAND WE'RE DESCENDING TO THREE THOUSAND AT THIS TIME AND CLEARED FOR THE ILS FIVE APPROACH." AT 1834:11, THE PILOT CANCELED THE INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN AND WAS ASKED BY THE CONTROLLER IF THE AIRPLANE WAS BELOW THE WEATHER. THE PILOTREPLIED, "UH, THAT'S AFFIRMATIVE, AND, UH, WE'RE GOING TO TURN BACK TO TALLADEGA, THAT'S WHERE OUR INTENDED PLACE WAS, WE JUST FILED ANNISTON BECAUSE THEY HAD AN ILS." AT 1834:30, RADAR SERVICE WAS TERMINATED. AT 1842, LOCAL RESIDENTS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE HEARD WHAT WAS DESCRIBED AS A "LOUD BOOM." A WITNESS SAW WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS A "LARGE FIRE," AND IMMEDIATELY TELEPHONED 911. ANOTHER WITNESS WHO HEARD THE ACCIDENT WENT WITH A FRIEND TO THE LOCATION OF THE FIRE AND FOUND THE DOWNED AIRPLANE ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ATL01FA036](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL01FA036), Feb 14, 2001: Cessna 421 (N5AY), Munford, AL, destroyed, 5 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot continued visual flight into instrument weather conditions that resulted in the inflight collision with a river bank. Factors were reduced visibility and dark night. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.