What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft departed runway and made left turn, lost engine power and crashed into shed in industrial park. (.4)witnesses said they observed takeoffs & landings being performed. Pilot(s) of the accident airplane (N8473P), turned off runway 22 after landing & taxied back to the approach end to take off again. As N8473P was taking off, the pilot of an arriving airplane ask about N8473P'S location. Pilot(s) of N8473P replied that they were on the takeoff roll. During initial climb after lift-off, they transmitted 'give us some room to turn this thing around.' N8473P was observed to climb to about 100 ft AGL, bank sharply left, then roll to a wings level attitude. Witnesses then lost sight N8473P due to obstructions. Smoke was observed, & 911 was called to report the accident. Witnesses said the landing gear was retracted when N8473P began banking left. Investigation revealed N8473P first contacted the tops of two 25 feet-tall trees, then it collided with a walkway canopy. Fire destroyed most of the right wing, the cockpit & cabin, & slight fire damage was noted to the left wing. Fire damage & browning of grass were noted forward of the right wing. No chemical or fire damage was noted to plants foward & beneath the initial impact point with the left wing inboard fuel tank, & no hydraulic rupture to the left wing fuel tanks were noted. An exam of the engine, flight controls, & airfram revealed no evidence of preimpact malfunction or failure. The fuel selector compenents had impact damage, & the fuel selector was found positioned about 15 deg to the right of the 'left' fuel tank position. (-23) on July 25, 1997 around 1844 EST N8473P took off from (gvl) gainsville ga. Pilot on board radioed back to FBO that he was returning to the airport on climbout about 100 ft from ground. Nika in approach pattern received radio contact from pilot in N8473P requesting not to crowd the pattern due to an immediate return to airport, no reason given. N8473P made a tight left bank in an attempt to return to airport, clipped (2) 25 ft trees near an industral park before crashing into the walkway covering at 1248 palmour drive, gainsville ga 30501. 2 fatalities on impact. Post fire completely dest royed aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY AND MADE LEFT TURN, LOST ENGINE POWER AND CRASHED INTO SHED IN INDUSTRIAL PARK. (.4)WITNESSES SAID THEY OBSERVED TAKEOFFS & LANDINGS BEING PERFORMED. PILOT(S) OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE (N8473P), TURNED OFF RUNWAY 22 AFTER LANDING & TAXIED BACK TO THE APPROACH END TO TAKE OFF AGAIN. AS N8473P WAS TAKING OFF, THE PILOT OF AN ARRIVING AIRPLANE ASK ABOUT N8473P'S LOCATION. PILOT(S) OF N8473P REPLIED THAT THEY WERE ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL. DURING INITIAL CLIMB AFTER LIFT-OFF, THEY TRANSMITTED 'GIVE US SOME ROOM TO TURN THIS THING AROUND.' N8473P WAS OBSERVED TO CLIMB TO ABOUT 100 FT AGL, BANK SHARPLY LEFT, THEN ROLL TO A WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. WITNESSES THEN LOST SIGHT N8473P DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS. SMOKE WAS OBSERVED, & 911 WAS CALLED TO REPORT THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSES SAID THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED WHEN N8473P BEGAN BANKING LEFT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED N8473P FIRST CONTACTED THE TOPS OF TWO 25 FEET-TALL TREES, THEN IT COLLIDED WITH A WALKWAY CANOPY. FIRE DESTROYED MOST OF THE RIGHT WING, THE COCKPIT & CABIN, & SLIGHT FIRE DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE LEFT WING. FIRE DAMAGE & BROWNING OF GRASS WERE NOTED FORWARD OF THE RIGHT WING. NO CHEMICAL OR FIRE DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO PLANTS FOWARD & BENEATH THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT WITH THE LEFT WING INBOARD FUEL TANK, & NO HYDRAULIC RUPTURE TO THE LEFT WING FUEL TANKS WERE NOTED. AN EXAM OF THE ENGINE, FLIGHT CONTROLS, & AIRFRAM REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE. THE FUEL SELECTOR COMPENENTS HAD IMPACT DAMAGE, & THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND POSITIONED ABOUT 15 DEG TO THE RIGHT OF THE 'LEFT' FUEL TANK POSITION. (-23) ON JULY 25, 1997 AROUND 1844 EST N8473P TOOK OFF FROM (GVL) GAINSVILLE GA. PILOT ON BOARD RADIOED BACK TO FBO THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT ON CLIMBOUT ABOUT 100 FT FROM GROUND. NIKA IN APPROACH PATTERN RECEIVED RADIO CONTACT FROM PILOT IN N8473P REQUESTING NOT TO CROWD THE PATTERN DUE TO AN IMMEDIATE RETURN TO AIRPORT, NO REASON GIVEN. N8473P MADE A TIGHT LEFT BANK IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO AIRPORT, CLIPPED (2) 25 FT TREES NEAR AN INDUSTRAL PARK BEFORE CRASHING INTO THE WALKWAY COVERING AT 1248 PALMOUR DRIVE, GAINSVILLE GA 30501. 2 FATALITIES ON IMPACT. POST FIRE COMPLETELY DEST ROYED AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8473P · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.