20110614018179A

INTERVIEWED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FOR OVER AN HOUR REGARDING THE ACCIDENT HE SUFFERED ON TUESDAY, 14 JUN., 2011, AT COVINGTON AIRPORT (9A1) AT APPROXIMATE 14:38 LOCAL TIME. THE ILL-FATED AIRCRAFT WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BY THE PDK FLIGHT ACADEMY AT PDK AIRPORT.BEFORE DEPARTING PDK, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ GOT A VERBAL WEATHER BRIEFINGS FROM AN INSTRUCTOR WHO HAD JUST RETURNED FROM 9A1 AIRPORT AND FROM THE NWS. FIELD CONDITIONS AT COVINGTON AIRPORT WERE EXCELLENT (CAV OK). THE WINDS WERE REPORTED FROM 300 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS, BUT THE WIND WAS BIGINNING TO PICK UP CONSIDERABLY AND WAS NOTED AT THE ATL FSDO GUSTING SIGNIFICANTLY. THE RUNWAY WAS DRY AND THERE WAS NO OTHER TRAFFIC IN THE PATTERN AT THE TIME THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE HAD DEPARTED PDK AIRPORT AND HEADED TO 9A1 IN ORDER TO PRACTICE FOR HIS UPCOMING PRIVATE CERTIFICATE CHECKRIDE WHICH HAD BEEN SCHEDULED BY HIS CFI, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (CFI # ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) FOR THURSDAY, 16 JUN., 2011. HE MADE ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN TAKE-OFFS AND LANDINGS INCLUDING TWO SOFT FIELD TAKE-OFFS. HE STATED HE DID A "GO-AROUND" ON THE SIXTH LANDING ATTEMPT WHEN SEVERAL DEER CROSSED THE RUNWAY. THE ANIMALS WERE NO FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WHATSOEVER. ON THE SEVENTH TAKE-OFF, HE ATTEMPTED A SOFT FIELD T.O. FROM RWY 28. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE LIFTED THE NOSE AND ABOUT 50 KNOTS IAS; THE C-172S BECOMING AIRBORNE THEN. AT ABOUT TWO FEET OFF THE GROUND, HE MENTIONED A SUDDEN GUST OF WIND FROM HIS THREE O'CLOCK POSITION RAISED HIS RIGHT WING ABRUPTLY AND HE STARTED DRIFTING TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CONSIDERABLY. THE LEFT WHEEL MADE BRIEF CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. IN AN ATTEMPT TO ARREST THE DRIFT, HE TURNED THE CONTROL WHEEL TO THE RIGHT BUT THE AIRPLANE WAS ALREADY DRIFTING OFF THE RUNWAY BEYOND HIS CONTROL AND AT WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS A "QUITE A RAPID PACE." HE SAID HE TRIED TO STRAIGHTEN THE AIRCRAFT'S WITH RUDDER, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEADING TOWARDS THE FENCE ON THE OUTER LEFT PERIMETER OF THE AIRPORT, AND HE FEARED THAT NOT GAINING ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED, HE WOULD NOT CLEAR THEM.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN PUSHED THE CONTROL WHEEL DOWN AND THE NOSE GEAR (WHICH SHEARED UPON IMPACT, SEE ATTACHED PICS) MADE A HARD IMPACT WITH THE GROUND AND FLIPPED THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT 45 DEGREES. THE RIGHT WING THEN MADE HARD CONTACT WITH THE GROUND SHEARING OFF BUT NOT AWAY FROM THE FUSELAGE, HOWEVER, IN THE PROCESS RUPTURING THE RIGHT GAS TANK; FUEL GUSHING OUT AND BEING SET ON FIRE WHEN IT MADE CONTACT WITH THE HOT ENGINE. N6026P FLIPPED AROUND 180 DEGREES ON THE NOSE WHEEL AS IT SLID DOWN A SHALLOW DITCH AND CAME TO A REST.THE STUDENT PILOT SAID THE COCKPIT WAS ENGULFED IN SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE FIRE EMANATING FROM UNDERNEATH THE SEATS. HE GRABBED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND DOUSED THE FLAMES ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO JUMP OUT THE LEFT DOOR, EVEN THOUGH HIS RIGHT FOOT WAS STUCK WITH THE RUDDER PEDALS UNTIL HE SHOOK AND JERKED HIS LEG LOSE. BEFORE THE CRASH, AS HIS INSTRUCTOR TAUGHT HIM TO DO, HE OPENED THE DOOR WHEN IMPACT WAS IMMINENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CLAIMS THIS SAVED HIS LIFE, AS THE OTHER DOOR WAS JAMMED SHUT FROM THE HARD JOLT AS HIS DOOR PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TOO. HIS CELL PHONE BURNED IN THE WRECKAGE, BUT HE STATED HE WAS ABLE TO GRAB HIS WALLET AND GLASSES BEFORE BAILING OUT OF THE BURNING CESSNA.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE NEVER PANICKED AND REMAINED CALM AND COLLECTED THROUGHOUT THE LOSS OF CONTROL AND CRASH, AS HE WAS TAUGHT TO DO.INCREDIBLY ENOUGH, THE 63-YR-OLD PHYSICIAN ESCAPED UNSCATHED WITH ONLY WHAT HE DESCRIBED WERE "MINOR BUMPS AND BRUISES." NOTWITHSTANDING, THE AIRPLANE WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED, BURNED AND WRITTEN OFF.