20010819023489A

(-23) ON AUGUST 23, 2001 I INVESTIGATED AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT IN MOSHEIM, TN. (GREEN COUNTY, GCY). THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON AUGUST 19, 2001 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:50 PM EST. THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT WAS A PIPER J4A CUB, N27848, AND SERIAL NUMBER 41068. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PAINTED WHITE AND ORANGE. A POST-CRASH FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT. THE STUDENT PILOT'S NAME IS BRUCE MYERS HARTMAN; STUDENT PILOT NUMBER EE-0693637, DATED 09/30/99. THE ABOVE MENTION STUDENT PILOT'S ADDRESS IS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ . MR. HARTMAN APPROXIMATE FLYING TIME IS 35.3 HOURS. (AS RECORDED IN HIS PERSONAL LOGBOOK). MR. HARTMAN BROUGHT TO OUR INTERVIEW ANOTHER PILOT'S LOGBOOK TO SHOW WHERE HE HAD FLOWN WITH HIM APPROXIMATELY 5 HOURS. (COPIES INCLUDED). MR. HARTMAN STATED THAT THE PREVIOUS DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT HE WAS JUST GOING TO TAKE IT AROUND THE PATCH. THE "PATCH" IS AN 800-FOOT GRASS STRIP LOCATED BEHIND HIS RESIDENCE. THIS GRASS STRIP (SW BY NE) IS SLOPED AND UNDULATING, WITH COWS. MR. HARTMAN TAKES OFF DOWN THE HILL (SW) INTO THE WIND, BUT MUST LAND UPHILL (NE), ACCORDING TO MR. HARTMAN ON THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT IT WAS AN APPROXIMATE 7 KNOT W IND. MR. HARTMAN STATED THAT HE WAS TRYING TO GO AROUND BECAUSE HE WAS FLOATING DOWN (UP) THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOW DUE IN FACT THAT IT WOULD NOT CLIMB. (NO STALL WARNING DEVICE NOTED OR HEARD) HE AVOIDED THE SHED NEXT TO THE RUNWAY AND NOTICED TREES AND POWER LINES. HE THOUGHT HE HAD CLEARED THE POWER LINES AND NOSED OVER. HE THEN CRASHED INTO A TRUCK AND LANDED IN THE ROAD. AFTER WHICH TIME HE JUMPED OUT OF HIS AIRCRAFT AND RAN TO HIS HOUSE. (APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AWAY). MR. HARTMAN THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAD HIT THE POWER LINES BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT CHANGED DIRECTION AND SETTLED ONTO THE ROAD. HE STATED THAT HE NEVER SAW THE TRUCK AND FROM ALL INDICATIONS (NO SKID MARKS) THE TRUCK NEVER SAW HIM. THE TWO VEHICLES WERE 90 DEGREES APART BEFORE IMPACT. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT WING HAD A WIRE STRIKE MARK APPROXIMATELY ON A 45-DEGREE ANGLE AND THE LEFT WING TIP HAD INDICATIONS OR MARKINGS OF A TELEPHONE POLE STRIKE. THE AIRCRAFT IN FACT FLEW UNDERNEATHE THE 35 FOOT POWER LINES, (THE FOUR WIRES ON TOP OF A TELEPHONE POLE ARE ALUMINUM WIRES AND CARRY HIGH VOLTAGE, THESE WIRES WERE INTACT) THE AIRCRAFT ACTUALLY STRUCK THE LOWER COMMUNICATION LINES WHICH ARE STEEL AND MUCH STRONGER. THEREFORE, BREAKING THE FIRST TELEPHONE POLE WITH TRANSFORMERS, AND PULLING POLES SIDEWAYS A MILE AWAY. AFTER THE WIRE STRIKE THE AIRCRAFT WAS TURNED DIRECTLY INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. IN THIS CASE A 1999 FORD F250 4 X 4 TRUCK. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE HOOD OF THE TRUCK WITH ITS LEFT WHEEL STRUT AND BELLY. THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGED THE HOOD AND RIPPED OPEN THE CAB OF THE TRUCK, CONCENTRATED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THIS IMPACT CAUSED THE DRIVER (19 YEAR CHAD BROWN) TO BE DECAPITATED. HIS WIFE SITTING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT SAT DOWN IN THE BED OF THE TRUCK AND KNOCKED THE TAILGATE OFF. THE AIRCRAFT THEN LANDED ON ITS BELLY AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE PICK UP TRUCK TRAVELED SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET THROUGH A CHAIN LINK FENCE AND STOPPED JUST SHORT OF A BRICK BUILDING. THE AIRCRAFT AND TRUCK WERE EXAMINED AT A JUNKYARD. THE BROKEN TELEPHONE POLE AND TRANSFORMERS WERE EXAMINED AT THE GREENEVILLE ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BURNT BADLY. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND CABIN WERE DESTROYED. THE PROPELLER WAS NOTED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION, NO VISIBLE TWISTING OR BENDING. TWO FUEL TANKS WERE NOTED, ONE HEADER TANK AND A TANK LOCATED BEHIND THE PILOT'S HEAD. THE REMAINS OF AN ELT WERE NOTED. THE TAIL SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS INTACT AND APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. LEFT WHEEL AND STRUT WERE BROKEN OFF. (.4) ON AUGUST 19, 2001, ABOUT 1750 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER J-4A, N27848, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF MOSHEIM, TENNESSEE, WHILE ATTEMPTING A GO-AROUND FROM A BALKED LANDING. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY POSTCRASH FIRE AND THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. ALSO DAMAGED WAS A ROAD VEHICLE, POWER LINES AND TRANSFORMER, AND FENCING. TWO OCCUPANTS IN THE ROAD VEHICLE RECEIVED INJURIES, ONE FATAL AND ONE MINOR. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE FIELD ABOUT 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT, HE DEPARTED HIS PRIVATE GRASS, 800-FOOT AIRSTRIP TO THE SOUTHWEST, INTENDING TO CONDUCT LANDINGS TO THE NORTHEAST. THAT DIRECTION IS FAVORED, WIND PERMITTING, DUE TO OBSTACLE CLEARANCE AND RUNWAY SLOPE. HIS APPROACH WAS HIGH AND FAST AS A RESULT OF A TAILWIND, AND WHEN HE REALIZED HIS TOUCHDOWN WOULD BE LONG, HE ELECTED TO PERFORM A GO-AROUND. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH POWER WIRES NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE STRIP. THE SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN WAS TO A PAVED ROAD WHERE THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A PICKUP TRUCK, CAUSING FATAL INJURIES TO THE VEHICLE DRIVER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED NO AIRCRAFT MECHANICAL ABNORMALITIES OR MALFUNCTIONS, PRECRASH. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, THE PILOT STATED THE SURFACE WINDS AT THE AIRSTRIP WERE ABOUT 7 KNOTS FROM A SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE REVEALED A POWER LINE STRIKE MARK ON THE RIGHT WING ORIENTED ABOUT 45 DEGREES FROM THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND THE LEFT WING TIP SHOWED EVIDENCE OF A TELEPHONE POLE STRIKE. FOLLOWING THE WIRE STRIKE, THE AIRCRAFT'S DIRECTION WAS SKEWED EASTWARD, AND TERRAIN COLLISION WAS ACTUALLY HEAD-ON ONTO AN ONCOMING PICKUP TRUCK'S HOOD WITH THE LEFT WHEEL STRUT AND BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT RIPPED THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AND CAB OF THE TRUCK, SET DOWN IN THE BED OF THE TRUCK, KNOCKED THE TAILGATE OFF, AND CAME TO REST ON THE ROAD WHERE IT BURST INTO FLAMES. THE TRUCK DRIVER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES, AND THE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. TWO EYEWITNESS STATEMENTS WERE COLLECTED BY THE INSPECTOR, AND ARE ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REPORT.