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20050806017499A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Swftms GC-1B · Cypress, TX · August 6, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 6, 2005 · 16:48 local
Place
Cypress, TX
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N3209K
NTSB investigation
NTSBDFW05FA204
Reported as
Swftms GC1B
Reported engine
Continental IO360DB
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
628 total120 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days
N3209KRegistration cancelled May 3, 2018 · Globe GC-1BS/N 1202 · Built 1946Airframe modelGlobe GC-1BEngine modelContinental C145 seriesReciprocating

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) Both occupants were fatally injured, and the aircraft was destroyed, when the vintage 1946 globe swift GC-1-B crashed on a local pleasure flight with the private pilot owner flying, and a non-pilot family member as the only passenger. There was no fire. Ntap radar data showed the aircraft in an approximately standard rate left turn at approximately 2,000 feet altitude, when the last three ntap hits showed the aircraft altitude as 019 then 021 then 018. One eyewitness said he saw the aircraft in an "absolute vertical..straight nose down dive", however the evidence at the accident scene showed the aircraft struck the ground almost flat, straight down, with no forward speed, in an approximate 5 degree nose down/5 degree left wing down attitude. The FAA inspectors, NTSB investigator, and engine manufacturer's investigator (who all responded to the scene) agree that, at the moment of impact: the engine was developing power, the landing gear was retracted, and the flaps were retracted. Post-crash they found approximately two inches or more of fuel remaining in the left wing tank, but were unable to sample the right tank.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE FATALLY INJURED, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, WHEN THE VINTAGE 1946 GLOBE SWIFT GC-1-B CRASHED ON A LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT WITH THE PRIVATE PILOT OWNER FLYING, AND A NON-PILOT FAMILY MEMBER AS THE ONLY PASSENGER. THERE WAS NO FIRE. NTAP RADAR DATA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT IN AN APPROXIMATELY STANDARD RATE LEFT TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 2,000 FEET ALTITUDE, WHEN THE LAST THREE NTAP HITS SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT ALTITUDE AS 019 THEN 021 THEN 018. ONE EYEWITNESS SAID HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT IN AN "ABSOLUTE VERTICAL..STRAIGHT NOSE DOWN DIVE", HOWEVER THE EVIDENCE AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND ALMOST FLAT, STRAIGHT DOWN, WITH NO FORWARD SPEED, IN AN APPROXIMATE 5 DEGREE NOSE DOWN/5 DEGREE LEFT WING DOWN ATTITUDE. THE FAA INSPECTORS, NTSB INVESTIGATOR, AND ENGINE MANUFACTURER'S INVESTIGATOR (WHO ALL RESPONDED TO THE SCENE) AGREE THAT, AT THE MOMENT OF IMPACT: THE ENGINE WAS DEVELOPING POWER, THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED, AND THE FLAPS WERE RETRACTED. POST-CRASH THEY FOUND APPROXIMATELY TWO INCHES OR MORE OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE LEFT WING TANK, BUT WERE UNABLE TO SAMPLE THE RIGHT TANK.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DFW05FA204Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportCypress, TXThe pilot's failure to maintain airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin.Aug 6, 2005 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3209K · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20011122031079ATakeoff Ground Roll · Marion, TX(.19) On November 22, 2001, at 1040 central standard time, a globe GC-1B tail-wheel equipped airplane, N3209K, was substantially damaged when it impacted a fence and a tree during an aborted takeoff from the Zuehl Airport, Marion, Texas. The airplane was…Nov 22, 2001 · Substantial damage