20031101031709I

Incident

FAA incident report · Beech A23-24 · Topeka, KS · November 1, 2003

Date: November 1, 2003 · 15:25 local
Place: Topeka, KS
Airport: Philip Billard Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N5965S
Reported as: Beech A2324
Pilot’s flight hours: 378 total

N5965SRegistered now · Beech A23-24S/N MA-52 · Built 1966 Airframe modelBeech A23-24 Engine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On November 1, 2003 at 1719Z matthew david gunderson called princeton fss and asked for a standard weather briefing for a VFR flight in N5965S from klvn to kspw and then to kaao. Mr. Gunderson was given a standard weather briefing from klvn to kspw only. Mr. Gunderson departed klvn at approximately 1800Z. At 2110Z Mr. Gunderson contacted columbia fss from 20 miles south of pwe VOR at 8500 feet to request assistance because he was caught on top of an overcast layer. After not finding any breaks in the overcast within the flying time available columbia fss declared an emergency and handed Mr. Gunderson over to Kansas city center where he was vectored to the ILS rwy 13 at ktop. Mr. Gunderson landed at ktop without further incident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON NOVEMBER 1, 2003 AT 1719Z MATTHEW DAVID GUNDERSON CALLED PRINCETON FSS AND ASKED FOR A STANDARD WEATHER BRIEFING FOR A VFR FLIGHT IN N5965S FROM KLVN TO KSPW AND THEN TO KAAO. MR. GUNDERSON WAS GIVEN A STANDARD WEATHER BRIEFING FROM KLVN TO KSPW ONLY. MR. GUNDERSON DEPARTED KLVN AT APPROXIMATELY 1800Z. AT 2110Z MR. GUNDERSON CONTACTED COLUMBIA FSS FROM 20 MILES SOUTH OF PWE VOR AT 8500 FEET TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE BECAUSE HE WAS CAUGHT ON TOP OF AN OVERCAST LAYER. AFTER NOT FINDING ANY BREAKS IN THE OVERCAST WITHIN THE FLYING TIME AVAILABLE COLUMBIA FSS DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND HANDED MR. GUNDERSON OVER TO KANSAS CITY CENTER WHERE HE WAS VECTORED TO THE ILS RWY 13 AT KTOP. MR. GUNDERSON LANDED AT KTOP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.