# Accident 20120526008619A: Moyes B/Bailey B DRAGONFLY, Trenton, GA, May 26, 2012 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 26, 2012, 16:19 local time - Place: Trenton, GA - Airport: Lookout Mountain Flight Park - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Maneuver - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.9047° N, 85.4597° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.9047&lon=-85.4597&mi=10 - Aircraft: N56FP, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N56FP) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Moyes B/Bailey B DRAGONFLY (registry code 05901AZ, https://openairdocs.org/model/moyes-b-bailey-b-dragonfly) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Rotax 914 series (registry code 55575, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-914-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MOYES B/BAILEY B DRAGONFLY - Reported engine: ROTAX 914 (SERIES) - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport - Pilot flight hours: 3,000 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA12LA364](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12LA364) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120526008619A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ERA12LA364](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12LA364), May 26, 2012: Moyes B/Bailey B Dragonfly (N56FP), Trenton, GA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The airplane's entry into an uncontrolled descent for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.