- Date
- March 7, 1992, 20:00 local (Mar 8, 1992, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Elkhart, IN
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N105ASocata TB-10
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920308005159A
- Case key
- 15408
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
Proper glidepath was not maintained and minimum descent altitude was not maintained by the pilot resulting in collision with trees. Factors relate to the accident were the pilot's lack of total experience in type of operation and over confidence in personal ability.
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 pilot intercepted the outer marker and started the descent for the ILS rwy 27 approach. The pilot stated he broke out of the clouds and made visual contact with the runway. Due to fog and external light, he stated, he momentarily lost sight of the runway. Upon looking back a the instrument panel, he noted he was too low. The airplane collided with trees about 1/2 mile from the runway. The airplane stuck in the tree tops and the pilot and passenger were rescued by the fire department. This as the first actual IFR flight made by the pilot since obtaining his IFR certificate one month prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N105A
- Reported as
- Socata TB-10
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 590
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1AD, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Central Skyport Aviation
- Registered owner
- Copperfield Acft Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- MDW · Chicago, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- EKM · Elkhart
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
- 26
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 209 total · 32 in this make and model · 146 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EKM, 1 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.