20030914024859A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Chickamauga, GA · September 14, 2003

Date
September 14, 2003 · 19:30 local
Place
Chickamauga, GA
Phase of flight
Touch And Go Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
UNKNOWN
Fatal injuries
0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Inspector's statement: on September 16, 2003, the undersigned inspector assisted inspector james woods with the investigation of an accident reported as an ultralight at Chickamauga, Georgia, on September 14, 2003. According to written statements given by two individuals that witnessed the occurrence, the pilot, Mr. Hubert shirley, had completed a "touch and go" from a private strip and was attempting to clear some trees. At approximately 100 feet, the engine stopped, the aircraft made a hard bank to the right, and spun in. The wreckage had been removed from the impact area to a location across the street (the private strip) belonging to the pilot, Mr. Shirley. A survey of the impact area, located at 2552 hwy. 341, Chickamauga, Georgia, indicated that the aircraft struck the ground at a 90-degree angle. An examination of the wreckage disclosed that the remains were of an unregistered, experimental amateur built aircraft. The fuselage from the aft cockpit bulkhead forward was completely destroyed. The powerplant appeared to be that of a volkswagen type. The electrical system consisted of two 16-volt batteries only, no generator or alternator. The ignition system appeared to bean automotive type high-energy electronic ignition system without any sort of back-up arrangement. I could not find any evidence that would indicate the aircraft had ever had the required registration or experimental markings required under FAR 45. A search of airman records shows that Mr. Shirley was issued a commercial pilot rating (certificate # 256687023) on September 21, 1977. Records indicate the medical certificate date as September 9, 1977.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) INSPECTOR'S STATEMENT: ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2003, THE UNDERSIGNED INSPECTOR ASSISTED INSPECTOR JAMES WOODS WITH THE INVESTIGATION OF AN ACCIDENT REPORTED AS AN ULTRALIGHT AT CHICKAMAUGA, GEORGIA, ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2003. ACCORDING TO WRITTEN STATEMENTS GIVEN BY TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT WITNESSED THE OCCURRENCE, THE PILOT, MR. HUBERT SHIRLEY, HAD COMPLETED A "TOUCH AND GO" FROM A PRIVATE STRIP AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO CLEAR SOME TREES. AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET, THE ENGINE STOPPED, THE AIRCRAFT MADE A HARD BANK TO THE RIGHT, AND SPUN IN. THE WRECKAGE HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE IMPACT AREA TO A LOCATION ACROSS THE STREET (THE PRIVATE STRIP) BELONGING TO THE PILOT, MR. SHIRLEY. A SURVEY OF THE IMPACT AREA, LOCATED AT 2552 HWY. 341, CHICKAMAUGA, GEORGIA, INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND AT A 90-DEGREE ANGLE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DISCLOSED THAT THE REMAINS WERE OF AN UNREGISTERED, EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT. THE FUSELAGE FROM THE AFT COCKPIT BULKHEAD FORWARD WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE POWERPLANT APPEARED TO BE THAT OF A VOLKSWAGEN TYPE. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CONSISTED OF TWO 16-VOLT BATTERIES ONLY, NO GENERATOR OR ALTERNATOR. THE IGNITION SYSTEM APPEARED TO BEAN AUTOMOTIVE TYPE HIGH-ENERGY ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM WITHOUT ANY SORT OF BACK-UP ARRANGEMENT. I COULD NOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE THAT WOULD INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT HAD EVER HAD THE REQUIRED REGISTRATION OR EXPERIMENTAL MARKINGS REQUIRED UNDER FAR 45. A SEARCH OF AIRMAN RECORDS SHOWS THAT MR. SHIRLEY WAS ISSUED A COMMERCIAL PILOT RATING (CERTIFICATE # 256687023) ON SEPTEMBER 21, 1977. RECORDS INDICATE THE MEDICAL CERTIFICATE DATE AS SEPTEMBER 9, 1977.