- Date
- December 29, 1991, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lineville, AL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9304SBeech C23
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911229057979A
- Case key
- 8493
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot continued VFR into IMC conditions where he collided with trees and terrain. Factors in this accident were: low clouds, obscured terrain, and the pilot's inadequate prelflight planning.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The noninstrument rated pilot called the fss to inquire about the local and destination weather, but did not request or receive a weather briefing. When told that the weather would remain marginal for VFR until later in the day, he stated that he would call back later. He did not call back and departed the airport without a flight plan. The aircraft crashed on cheaha mountain in a near level flight attitude at an elevation of about 1,700 feet. The mountain was reported to be obscured in clouds throughout the day of the accident with visibilities reported to be from zero to 50 feet in light drizzle and fog. Inspection of the wreckage revealed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9304S
- Reported as
- Beech C23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-1631
- Airframe hours
- 3,022
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4J, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Henson, Harold V
- Registered owner
- Henson, Harold V
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 19, 1991 · 77 hours before
- Departed
- GAD · Gadsden, AL
- Destination
- TPA · Tampa, FL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,020 total · 402 in this make and model · 39 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANB, 7 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.