# Accident 19970816022589A: Piper PA22108, Villa Rica, GA, August 16, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 16, 1997, 20:14 local time
- Place: Villa Rica, GA
- Airport: Lucky Lairds Landing Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.7291° N, 84.9210° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7291&lon=-84.9210&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5713Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5713Z-2013-08-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-22-108 (registry code 7102204, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-108) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA22108
- Reported engine: LYC O235C1
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 650 total, 432 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA97LA235](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97LA235) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970816022589A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT LANDED ON PRIVATE GRASS STRIP, LOST CONTROL, RAN OFF STRIP, HIT PINE TREES. (.4)THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE LANDING ON HIS OWN RUNWAY, HE DRIFTED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MOWED RUNWAY SURFACE AND AS A RESULT, THE LEFT WING COLLIDED WITH TREES THAT BORDERS THE RUNWAY.                                  (-23) ON AUGUST 16, 1997, AT APPROXIMATELY 2014 EDT (8:14 PM), A PIPER COLT (PA-22), REGISTRATION NUMBER N5713Z, PILOTED BY MR. BRUCE E. LAIRD, WAS OPERATING UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) AND UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF US CFR 14, PART 91, ON A FLIGHT FROM THE CARROL COUNTY (GEORGIA) AIRPORT TO MR. LAIRD'S PRIVATELY OWNED AIRSTRIP LOCATED AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^                        THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO CONCLUDE A RECREATIONAL SEQUENCE ORIGINATING FROM HIS AIRSTRIP TO CARROL COUNTY AND BACK TO HIS HOME AIRPORT. UPON LANDING AND AFTER TOUCHDOWN AT THE PRIVATE AIRSTRIP, THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING IMPACTED SEVERAL SMALL PINE TREES GROWING AT THE EDGE OF THE PREPARED SURFACE OF THE RUNWAY. SUBSEQUENT TO IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED LEFT, DEPARTING THE PREPARED SURFACE AND PROCEEDING DOWN A TEN FOOT EMBANKME                                                                 NT TOWARD A PINE TREE GROVE. UPON ENTERING THE GROVE, BOTH WINGS IMPACTED SEVERAL MATURE PINE TREES, BRINGING THE AIRCRAFT TO AN IMMEDIATE HALT WHILE SUSTAINING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS AND THE LANDING GEAR UNDERCARRIAGE. ONLY MINOR INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY THE PILOT AND NO PASSENGERS WERE ON BOARD.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

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.

- [NTSB MIA97LA235](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97LA235), Aug 17, 1997: Piper PA-22-20 (N5713Z), Villa Rica, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Inadequate runway maintenance by the pilot for allowing trees to be in close proximity of the runway and failure to maintain clearance from the trees.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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