- Date
- November 16, 1991, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Spanishburg, WV
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N97684Stinson 108
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911116051849A
- Case key
- 11749
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's intentional flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the low ceiling in conjunction with the mountainous terrain and the pilot's over confidence.
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
During a cross country flight from myrtle beach, south carolina to clarksburg, west Virginia, the non-instrument rated private pilot descended through an overcast and collided with trees. The pilot stated that he had obtained a computer radar weather report in statesville, north carolina, which was reporting 4500 feet ceiling and 20 miles visibility. According to the FAA, while en route to his destination, the pilot climbed as high as 9000 feet to avoid the clouds. After crossing the first mountain ridge, he descended to 500 feet. He stated that he slowed the aircraft to 70 knots and continued his descent so as to regain sight of the ground. The nearest weather station, about 10 miles away, reported the weather as obscured sky and one-eight of a mile visibility in light drizzle and fog.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N97684
- Reported as
- Stinson 108
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 108-684
- Engine
- Franklin 6A4150-3, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Larry D. Misenhelder
- Registered owner
- Richard Smith
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 24, 1901 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- Statesville, NC
- Destination
- Mercer County, WV
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Invalid Medical for flight
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 172 total · 112 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 4 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BLF, 10 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.