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20120720016949A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Brenholt Larry R RV-4 · Cedar Town, GA · July 20, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 20, 2012 · 08:35 local
Place
Cedar Town, GA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N25UA
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA12FA467
Reported as
Brenholt Larry R RV-4
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N25UARegistration cancelled Oct 2, 2012 · Brenholt Larry R RV-4S/N 2131 · Built 1993Airframe modelBrenholt Larry R RV-4Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

N25UA, enroute from KO1J to krnc, crashed on treat mountain near Cedar Town, GA.no flight plan was filed. No ELT was found. Kctj (1075FT elv) weather indicated 300 feet ceiling. Elevation at crash site 1313 ft. low cloud cover with rising terrain at crash site. Distance travelled is consistent with the maximum range of the right fuel tank, which was selected. Tank cavity of both wings were melted in fire, about 6 feet out from the wing root on both sides. Propeller was not turning when aircraft struck the ground. Impact left aircraft in one piece except for canopy and head sized piece of canopy found a few feet ahead of the aircraft. Latched canopy was removed by blunt impact to inside of bubble, nearest to pilot's head in normal operating position. Blood spatter was found inside canopy and on a hat found in canopy on the ground. Pilot 5 point seat belt was fully buckled. The pilot was 5 feet, 8 inches tall. Aircraft and pilot were consumed by fire from remaining fuel in tank(s) post crash, after impact caused pilot, with fully latched 5 point safety harness to contact and remove fully latched canopy with his head, with cause of death suspected to be head trauma prior to fire.

As the FAA filed it

N25UA, ENROUTE FROM KO1J TO KRNC, CRASHED ON TREAT MOUNTAIN NEAR CEDAR TOWN, GA.NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.NO ELT WAS FOUND.KCTJ (1075FT ELV) WEATHER INDICATED 300 FEET CEILING. ELEVATION AT CRASH SITE 1313 FT.LOW CLOUD COVER WITH RISING TERRAIN AT CRASH SITE.DISTANCE TRAVELLED IS CONSISTENT WITH THE MAXIMUM RANGE OF THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, WHICH WAS SELECTED. TANK CAVITY OF BOTH WINGS WERE MELTED IN FIRE, ABOUT 6 FEET OUT FROM THE WING ROOT ON BOTH SIDES.PROPELLER WAS NOT TURNING WHEN AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND.IMPACT LEFT AIRCRAFT IN ONE PIECE EXCEPT FOR CANOPY AND HEAD SIZED PIECE OF CANOPY FOUND A FEW FEET AHEAD OF THE AIRCRAFT.LATCHED CANOPY WAS REMOVED BY BLUNT IMPACT TO INSIDE OF BUBBLE, NEAREST TO PILOT'S HEAD IN NORMAL OPERATING POSITION.BLOOD SPATTER WAS FOUND INSIDE CANOPY AND ON A HAT FOUND IN CANOPY ON THE GROUND. PILOT 5 POINT SEAT BELT WAS FULLY BUCKLED.THE PILOT WAS 5 FEET, 8 INCHES TALL.AIRCRAFT AND PILOT WERE CONSUMED BY FIRE FROM REMAINING FUEL IN TANK(S) POST CRASH, AFTER IMPACT CAUSED PILOT, WITH FULLY LATCHED 5 POINT SAFETY HARNESS TO CONTACT AND REMOVE FULLY LATCHED CANOPY WITH HIS HEAD, WITH CAUSE OF DEATH SUSPECTED TO BE HEAD TRAUMA PRIOR TO FIRE.

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 ERA12FA467Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportCedartown, GAThe non-instrument-rated pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering for a forced landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.Jul 20, 2012 · Substantial damage