What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The accident occurred about 1620 eastern daylight time, an experimental light-sport Moyes B/Bailey B Dragonfly, N56FP, operated by privacy data omitted, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering shortly after takeoff from Lookout Mountain air park (0GE3), Trenton, Georgia. privacy data omitted Was a certificated airline transport pilot with multiengine land and sea ratings with over 3,000 hours of reported experience. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed with the closest reported weather at cha reporting .....wind 040 at 6 KTS, 10 sm visibility, a few clouds at 6,000, temp/dew was 34/18, altimeter 30.09, and no Flight plan had been filed for the local Flight that was conducted under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91.according to multiple witness statements the airplane departed 0GE3 without incident, climbed to about 350 to 400 feet above ground level, and flew to a nearby ridge line to evaluate wind conditions for hang-gliding flights which were operated from the airport. Witnesses reported that the airplane looked slow as it flew parallel to the ridge line and subsequently entered a left spiraling dive. One witness stated the airplane made two 360 degree turns and was in a steep 30-40 degree nose down left spin and he heard the engine "operating normally" before it impacted the trees. The airplane's fuselage and both wings were substantially damaged. According to FAA records the airplane was manufactured in 1998, and equipped with a Rotax 914 series, 100-horsepower engine. In addition, it was equipped with a ballistic recovery systems (brs) parachute. Initial examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation of the aircraft. Investigation of the engine components and crash site indicated that the engine was producing significant power upon impact with terrain. Additional investigation of the crash site and debris field also indicated an excessive rate of descent and would further substantiate eye witness accounts of the aircraft being in a spin upon impact with terrain. The brs parachute system was armed for Flight but had not been activated and was discharged by recovery personal upon arrival at the crash site. After the FAA on site investigation was concluded and concurrence with NTSB officials was obtained the aircraft was removed by the owner privacy data omitted initial review of airman's medical information by privacy data omitted of the FAA showed that the pilot's last medical exam was conducted on 1-15-1993. The pilot was issued a class 2 medical certificate with no limitations. Although his medical was expired he was eligible to fly as a light sport pilot as long as he has a valid driver's license and is in compliance with 14 CFR 61.53. "Prohibition on operations during medical deficiency". Maintance records were sufficient for the aircraft but are still under review.
As the FAA filed it
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ABOUT 1620 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL LIGHT-SPORT MOYES B/BAILEY B DRAGONFLY, N56FP, OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN AIR PARK (0GE3), TRENTON, GEORGIA. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS A CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WITH MULTIENGINE LAND AND SEA RATINGS WITH OVER 3,000 HOURS OF REPORTED EXPERIENCE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED WITH THE CLOSEST REPORTED WEATHER AT CHA REPORTING .....WIND 040 AT 6 KTS, 10 SM VISIBILITY, A FEW CLOUDS AT 6,000, TEMP/DEW WAS 34/18, ALTIMETER 30.09, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT THAT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE WITNESS STATEMENTS THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED 0GE3 WITHOUT INCIDENT, CLIMBED TO ABOUT 350 TO 400 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, AND FLEW TO A NEARBY RIDGE LINE TO EVALUATE WIND CONDITIONS FOR HANG-GLIDING FLIGHTS WHICH WERE OPERATED FROM THE AIRPORT. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE LOOKED SLOW AS IT FLEW PARALLEL TO THE RIDGE LINE AND SUBSEQUENTLY ENTERED A LEFT SPIRALING DIVE. ONE WITNESS STATED THE AIRPLANE MADE TWO 360 DEGREE TURNS AND WAS IN A STEEP 30-40 DEGREE NOSE DOWN LEFT SPIN AND HE HEARD THE ENGINE "OPERATING NORMALLY" BEFORE IT IMPACTED THE TREES. THE AIRPLANE'S FUSELAGE AND BOTH WINGS WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.ACCORDING TO FAA RECORDS THE AIRPLANE WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1998, AND EQUIPPED WITH A ROTAX 914 SERIES, 100-HORSEPOWER ENGINE. IN ADDITION, IT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEMS (BRS) PARACHUTE. INITIAL EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT.INVESTIGATION OF THE ENGINE COMPONENTS AND CRASH SITE INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING SIGNIFICANT POWER UPON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN. ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION OF THE CRASH SITE AND DEBRIS FIELD ALSO INDICATED AN EXCESSIVE RATE OF DESCENT AND WOULD FURTHER SUBSTANTIATE EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS OF THE AIRCRAFT BEING IN A SPIN UPON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN. THE BRS PARACHUTE SYSTEM WAS ARMED FOR FLIGHT BUT HAD NOT BEEN ACTIVATED AND WAS DISCHARGED BY RECOVERY PERSONAL UPON ARRIVAL AT THE CRASH SITE.AFTER THE FAA ON SITE INVESTIGATION WAS CONCLUDED AND CONCURRENCE WITH NTSB OFFICIALS WAS OBTAINED THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED BY THE OWNER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INITIAL REVIEW OF AIRMAN'S MEDICAL INFORMATION BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE FAA SHOWED THAT THE PILOT'S LAST MEDICAL EXAM WAS CONDUCTED ON 1-15-1993. THE PILOT WAS ISSUED A CLASS 2 MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WITH NO LIMITATIONS. ALTHOUGH HIS MEDICAL WAS EXPIRED HE WAS ELIGIBLE TO FLY AS A LIGHT SPORT PILOT AS LONG AS HE HAS A VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE AND IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH 14 CFR 61.53. "PROHIBITION ON OPERATIONS DURING MEDICAL DEFICIENCY". MAINTANCE RECORDS WERE SUFFICIENT FOR THE AIRCRAFT BUT ARE STILL UNDER REVIEW.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.