# NTSB DCA83AA032: Grumman G-159, N68TG, Blountville, TN, July 16, 1983

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Final report
- Date: July 15, 1983, 21:08 local (Jul 16, 1983, 02:08 UTC)
- Place: Blountville, TN
- Location: 36.4752° N, 82.4074° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at TRI-CITIES (TRI), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.4752&lon=-82.4074&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Minor injuries
- Injuries: 2 minor
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Major Investigations Division
- NTSB case key (mKey): 15787
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA83AA032
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/15787/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA83AA032

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Overrun, landing - roll
  - light condition - dusk (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - haze/smoke (contributing factor)
  - airport facilities,visual apch slope ind(vasi) - not operating (contributing factor)
  - airspeed - misjudged, pilot in command (cause)
  - distance - misjudged, pilot in command (cause)
  - go-around - not performed, pilot in command (cause)
- On ground/water collision with object, landing - roll
  - object - fence (contributing factor)
- On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll
  - terrain condition - dirt bank/rising embankment (contributing factor)

## Analysis

THE COPLT STATED THAT WHEN HE BEGAN THE APCH TO THE DESTINATION ARPT, THE WEATHER CONDITION WAS HAZY & HE DELAYED HIS DESCENT SLIGHTLY UNTIL HE LOCATED THE ARPT. WHEN HE SAW THE RWY, HE BELIEVED THAT THEY WERE A LITTLE TOO CLOSE, SO HE INDICATED TO THE CAPTAIN THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A 360 DEG TURN. AT THAT POINT, THE CAPTAIN ASSUMED CONTROL OF THE ACFT & CONTINUED THE APCH TO RWY 4. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWNED LONG. ACCORDING TO THE CAPTAIN, HE TRIED SEVERAL APPLICATIONS OF THE NORMAL BRAKING SYS, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. HE THEN TRIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKES & ASKED THE COPLT TO GET ON THE BRAKES, BUT REPORTED THERE WAS NO BRAKING. SUBSEQUENTLY THE ACFT WENT OFF THE END OF THE RWY, WENT OVER AN EMBANKMENT & HIT A FENCE. IT CAME TO REST ON A 2ND EMBANKMENT WHERE IT EXPLODED & BURNED. TIRE MARKS WITH EVIDENCE OF BRAKING ACTION WERE FOUND STARTING 2377 FT BEYOND THE RWY THRESHOLD. A REQUIRED FIELD LENGTH OF APRX 2600 FT WAS CALCULATED FOR LNDG. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. VASI LIGHTS WERE INOP.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N68TG](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N68TG-1983-11-02), registration cancelled 1983-11-02, S/N 68 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GRUMMAN G-159
- Registry model: [Grumman G-159](https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-g-159) (registry code 3952202) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 068
- Airframe hours: 14759
- Engines: Rolls-Royce RD27/529-8E 1910 horsepower turbo prop
- Damage: Destroyed
- Fire: On-Ground
- Flight: Part 135
- Operator: Orion Air, Inc.
- Registered owner: Tag Leasing Company, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Departed: TYS, KNOXVILLE, TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: TRI, Tri-City, runway 4, 6,599 × 150 ft, macadam

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 36; commercial, flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 4,927 total, 427 in this make and model, 3,782 as pilot in command, 164 in the last 90 days, 70 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk
- Wind: 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: TRI

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19830715075959A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830715075959A), Jul 15, 1983: Gulstm G159, Bristol-Johnson, TN, Destroyed. Landed long at dusk in haze. Ran off end of runway down slope into a fence.

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.

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