20091022025659A

ON OCTOBER 22, 2009, AT APPROXIMATELY 1121 HOURS EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A FUJI LM 1, REGISTRATION NUMBER N2121J, DEPARTED RUNWAY 27 AT ATHENS / BEN EPPS AIRPORT (AHN) LOCATED IN ATHENS, GEORGIA. N2121J WAS THE SECOND OF A TWO AIRCRAFT FORMATION DEPARTING AHN BOUND FOR LEESBURG, FL. (LEE). THIS WAS A PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91; THE LEAD AIRCRAFT WAS A CESSNA 182, REGISTRATION NUMBER N6022N. N2121J WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE PILOT LOST CONTROL AND IMPACTED TERRAIN, AT APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT, IN THE BACKYARD OF A RESIDENCE LOCATED AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, DUE TO LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT (FORMER AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT) AND HIS PASSENGER, A CURRENT PRIVATE PILOT, WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.WITNESSES WERE INTERVIEWED AT BOTH AHN AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. WITNESSES INTERVIEWED AT AHN STATED THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM RUNWAY 27. ONE WITNESS STATED HE THOUGHT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WASN'T ACCELERATING AS FAST AS IT SHOULD SO HE CONTINUED TO WATCH AFTER TAKEOFF BECAUSE HE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND HE MIGHT HAVE TO RESPOND IN THE ARFF TRUCK. OTHER WITNESSES AT AHN STATED THE DEPARTURE CLIMB OUT APPEARED NORMAL FOR A FEW SECONDS, THE LANDING GEAR WAS UP, AND THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE AT A SLIGHTLY NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. THE WINGS BEGAN "WAGGING" AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL CLIMBING, ALTHOUGH LOWER THAN THE LEAD AIRCRAFT, N6022N. THE NOSE LOWERED SLIGHTLY AND PLANE WAS STILL CLIMBING, THERE WERE A COUPLE MORE WING "WAGS" AND A SLIGHT TURN TO THE LEFT, THE NOSE THEN LOWERED SOME MORE. TWO WITNESSES, BOTH WITH LESS OBSTRUCTED VIEWS, STATED THE AIRCRAFT THEN PITCHED UP (ALMOST VERTICAL), TURNED HARD LEFT AND ENDED UP IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND DISAPPEARED IN THE TREES. ONE OF THESE WITNESSES STATED "THE PITCH UP AND TURN REMINDED HIM OF A HAMMERHEAD MANEUVER". WITNESSES AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INCLUDED THREE ROOFING CONTRACTORS WORKING NEXT DOOR TO THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE CONTRACTORS WERE ON TOP OF A HOUSE LOCATED AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT. THESE WITNESSES STATED THEY HEARD A NOISE, LOOKED UP AND NOTICED AIRCRAFT CLIP A PINE TREE. AT THAT TIME WORKERS NOTICED "WINGS WERE BASICALLY LEVEL, HOWEVER THE PROPELLER WAS NOT TURNING". ALL THREE WORKERS STATED "THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH THAT THEY COULD SEE EACH OTHERS FACES", THE AIRCRAFT WAS "ABOUT TEN OR FIFTEEN FEET ABOVE HOUSE ROOF THEY WERE WORKING". WORKERS STATED THE AIRCRAFT THEN PULLED STRAIGHT UP, ROLLED HARD RIGHT AND WENT STRAIGHT DOWN.THE PILOT (OCCUPANT OF LEFT SEAT), AGE 80, HAD PREVIOUSLY HELD AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE LAND RATINGS, AND COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE SEA, AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND, AND AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE SEA RATINGS. HE HAD BEEN ISSUED A 2-2 CLASS 2 MEDICAL CERTIFICATE (MUST WEAR CORRECTIVE LENSES) ON 01/24/2007, VALID FOR 6 MONTHS. ON 08/02/2007 HIS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS DENIED AFTER 60 DAYS FOLLOWING AMCD RECEIVING INFORMATION ABOUT AIRMAN'S CEREBRAL VASCULAR ACCIDENT (STROKE) ON 06/01/2007.THE PASSENGER / COPILOT (OCCUPANT OF RIGHT SEAT), AGE 47, HELD A CURRENT PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE LAND RATING, AND HELD A THIRD-CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE ISSUED 01/22/2009.EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE FOUND THAT THE AIRCRAFT MADE CONTACT WITH THE EARTH AT NEARLY A 180 DEGREE ANGLE, NOSE FIRST. THERE WAS NO FIRE AND BOTH WINGS AND EMPENNAGE WERE INTACT. THE LEADING EDGES OF BOTH WINGS HAD IMPACT DAMAGE AND THE FUEL CELLS HAD RUPTURED DUMPING ALL FUEL INTO THE GROUND. THE TWO BLADED PROPELLER WAS ACCESSIBLE ALTHOUGH ONE BLADE HAD BROKEN OFF AND WAS PARTIALLY BURIED. THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT BACKWARDS FROM IMPACTING FOREIGN OBJECTS; NEITHER BLADE EXHIBITED BLADE TIP CURLING. THE COCKPIT AND INSTRUMENT PANEL WERE M