What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Runway blocked by other aircraft. Applied power to go around. Engine hesitated. Struck trees. (.4)the pilot stated he was attempting to land after another airplane which had stopped on the runway. He transmitted three times in an attempt to get the other airplane to expedite off the runway. He then executed a go-around using full power and low pitch. According to the pilot, the engine accelerated briefly, then sputtered, and the propeller began windmilling. The airplane then impacted the trees to the left side of the runway. The pilot stated he had both automobile gasoline and avgas in the airplane at the time of the engine failure. The FAA inspector stated that after examining the engine, she found there was fuel in the gascolator, carburetor, and fuel line. She also noted the spark plugs appeared normal, the intake was normal, and both magnetos were able to fire. (-23) on 11/23/97, at approximately 1210 local time, john a. darraugh, a commercial pilot, certificate number 50620959, was pilot-in-command of a cessan 182 aircraft, registration number N48310. He was operating under FAR pa rt 91, transporting sport parachute jumpers from the Waycross-ware county airport. After dropping four jumpers, he descended to land on runway 36 at the airport. While on downwind, he heard another aircraft announce the downwind leg (uncontrolled airport). Mr. Darraugh then announced number two to land. On the final approach, Mr. Darraugh attempted to slow his approach with idle power to maintain adequate spacing on the aircraft in front of him. The first aircraft executed a full stop landing and was still on the runway when Mr. Darraugh was on short final. Since the first aircraft was not expediting off the runway, Mr. Darraugh became too close to safely land due to improper spacing. At approximately mid-field, Mr. Darraugh elected to execute a go-around. When he added full power and turned left his engine failed to accelerate properly and began sputtering. He then attempted to turn back to the field, but he did not have sufficient altitude or airspeed and the aircraft crashed into a tree line on the northwest corner of the airport.
As the FAA filed it
RUNWAY BLOCKED BY OTHER AIRCRAFT. APPLIED POWER TO GO AROUND. ENGINE HESITATED. STRUCK TREES. (.4)THE PILOT STATED HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND AFTER ANOTHER AIRPLANE WHICH HAD STOPPED ON THE RUNWAY. HE TRANSMITTED THREE TIMES IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET THE OTHER AIRPLANE TO EXPEDITE OFF THE RUNWAY. HE THEN EXECUTED A GO-AROUND USING FULL POWER AND LOW PITCH. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE ACCELERATED BRIEFLY, THEN SPUTTERED, AND THE PROPELLER BEGAN WINDMILLING. THE AIRPLANE THEN IMPACTED THE TREES TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD BOTH AUTOMOBILE GASOLINE AND AVGAS IN THE AIRPLANE AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE FAILURE. THE FAA INSPECTOR STATED THAT AFTER EXAMINING THE ENGINE, SHE FOUND THERE WAS FUEL IN THE GASCOLATOR, CARBURETOR, AND FUEL LINE. SHE ALSO NOTED THE SPARK PLUGS APPEARED NORMAL, THE INTAKE WAS NORMAL, AND BOTH MAGNETOS WERE ABLE TO FIRE. (-23) ON 11/23/97, AT APPROXIMATELY 1210 LOCAL TIME, JOHN A. DARRAUGH, A COMMERCIAL PILOT, CERTIFICATE NUMBER 50620959, WAS PILOT-IN-COMMAND OF A CESSAN 182 AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION NUMBER N48310. HE WAS OPERATING UNDER FAR PA RT 91, TRANSPORTING SPORT PARACHUTE JUMPERS FROM THE WAYCROSS-WARE COUNTY AIRPORT. AFTER DROPPING FOUR JUMPERS, HE DESCENDED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 36 AT THE AIRPORT. WHILE ON DOWNWIND, HE HEARD ANOTHER AIRCRAFT ANNOUNCE THE DOWNWIND LEG (UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT). MR. DARRAUGH THEN ANNOUNCED NUMBER TWO TO LAND. ON THE FINAL APPROACH, MR. DARRAUGH ATTEMPTED TO SLOW HIS APPROACH WITH IDLE POWER TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SPACING ON THE AIRCRAFT IN FRONT OF HIM. THE FIRST AIRCRAFT EXECUTED A FULL STOP LANDING AND WAS STILL ON THE RUNWAY WHEN MR. DARRAUGH WAS ON SHORT FINAL. SINCE THE FIRST AIRCRAFT WAS NOT EXPEDITING OFF THE RUNWAY, MR. DARRAUGH BECAME TOO CLOSE TO SAFELY LAND DUE TO IMPROPER SPACING. AT APPROXIMATELY MID-FIELD, MR. DARRAUGH ELECTED TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND. WHEN HE ADDED FULL POWER AND TURNED LEFT HIS ENGINE FAILED TO ACCELERATE PROPERLY AND BEGAN SPUTTERING. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO TURN BACK TO THE FIELD, BUT HE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED AND THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A TREE LINE ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE AIRPORT.
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 N48310 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.