20130914025739A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Miller/Culpepper CHRISTEN EAGLE II · Blythe, GA · September 14, 2013

Date
September 14, 2013 · 14:45 local
Place
Blythe, GA
Airport
Pea Patch Aerodrome
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N887AS
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA13CA417
Reported as
Miller/Culpepper Christen Eagle II
Reported engine
Lycoming AEIO-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
918 total400 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

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.

On September 14, 2013 aircraft N887AS sustained damage while departing Pea Patch Aerodrome (61GA) in Blythe ga at 1445 local (18:45Z). This office was contacted on the same date at approximately 1530 local by the local authorities and the regional operations center (roc). The responding FSDO inspector and NTSB tim monville were involved in the initial notification. The NTSB duty person agreed to the FAA responding without on scene NTSB. The aircraft, N887AS is a 1990 Miller/Culpepper Christen Eagle II serial number 1. The aircraft according to statements from the first responders appeared to be maneuvering and lost control and crashed onto the ground at privacy data omitted. The aircraft continued on the ground after impact and slid approximately 75 feet into a shed area and came to rest at a tree next to the shed area. This property is at the end of runway 18 at 61GA. Pea Patch Aerodrome is a private grass strip. The aircraft heading was approximately 50 degrees from the runway heading of 180 just before impact. The pilot and passenger received injuries considered to be minor for the pilot and serious for the passenger. They were transported to Georgia regents hospital in augusta, GA.

The FAA iic arrived on scene at 20:20 local on sept 14th. On arrival the property owner, privacy data omitted (privacy data omitted) and officer phillips of the richmond county police identified themselves and escorted this inspector to the scene. The aircraft was observed resting against a small tree, adjacent to an open carport heading approximately 050 degrees. The following observations were made during the initial assessment of the accident.

1. The aircraft had substantial damage involving the left wings, right wings, the firewall was deflected downward, the main landing gear and associated structure was damaged and torn away from the fuselage, the propeller blades were shredded from the spinner out. The lower left wing has evidence of compression from the tip inboard. The compression appeared to have been during the initial ground contact. The flight control continuity was verified to the control stick.

The throttle position was 80 percent of maximum power. The engine structure has evidence of right to left defection consistent with the left wing collapse during impact with the ground. An initial impact crater was located approximately 100 feet from the aircraft resting point and had evidence of the propeller impact and subsequent shredding and separation of the wooden blades from the propeller hub. Some fiberglass material was located however; most of the aircraft remained intact. A main tire and axle was located 20 feet ahead of the wreckage.

2. Fuel was observed leaking from the wing area. The engine oil was checked and found to be adequate. The ELT was found operating and was secured by this inspector. The frequency was 121.5 mhz. A tail wheel endorsement (61.31 (I)) was completed on 12/28/2007

The aircraft is registered to Mr. Nodorft and the re-registration expires on may 31, 2016 according to the registration document.

The operating limitations accompanied the airworthiness certificate.

The last condition inspection was accomplished on July 1, 2013 at 1189.9 tt

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2013 AIRCRAFT N887AS SUSTAINED DAMAGE WHILE DEPARTING PEA PATCH AERODROME (61GA) IN BLYTHE GA AT 1445 LOCAL (18:45Z). THIS OFFICE WAS CONTACTED ON THE SAME DATE AT APPROXIMATELY 1530 LOCAL BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER (ROC). THE RESPONDING FSDO INSPECTOR AND NTSB TIM MONVILLE WERE INVOLVED IN THE INITIAL NOTIFICATION. THE NTSB DUTY PERSON AGREED TO THE FAA RESPONDING WITHOUT ON SCENE NTSB. THE AIRCRAFT, N887AS IS A 1990 MILLER/CULPEPPER CHRISTEN EAGLE II SERIAL NUMBER 1. THE AIRCRAFT ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS FROM THE FIRST RESPONDERS APPEARED TO BE MANEUVERING AND LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED ONTO THE GROUND AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ON THE GROUND AFTER IMPACT AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET INTO A SHED AREA AND CAME TO REST AT A TREE NEXT TO THE SHED AREA. THIS PROPERTY IS AT THE END OF RUNWAY 18 AT 61GA. PEA PATCH AERODROME IS A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP. THE AIRCRAFT HEADING WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 DEGREES FROM THE RUNWAY HEADING OF 180 JUST BEFORE IMPACT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED INJURIES CONSIDERED TO BE MINOR FOR THE PILOT AND SERIOUS FOR THE PASSENGER. THEY WERE TRANSPORTED TO GEORGIA REGENTS HOSPITAL IN AUGUSTA, GA.

THE FAA IIC ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 20:20 LOCAL ON SEPT 14TH. ON ARRIVAL THE PROPERTY OWNER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) AND OFFICER PHILLIPS OF THE RICHMOND COUNTY POLICE IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AND ESCORTED THIS INSPECTOR TO THE SCENE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED RESTING AGAINST A SMALL TREE, ADJACENT TO AN OPEN CARPORT HEADING APPROXIMATELY 050 DEGREES. THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE DURING THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE ACCIDENT.

1. THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE INVOLVING THE LEFT WINGS, RIGHT WINGS, THE FIREWALL WAS DEFLECTED DOWNWARD, THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND ASSOCIATED STRUCTURE WAS DAMAGED AND TORN AWAY FROM THE FUSELAGE, THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE SHREDDED FROM THE SPINNER OUT. THE LOWER LEFT WING HAS EVIDENCE OF COMPRESSION FROM THE TIP INBOARD. THE COMPRESSION APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN DURING THE INITIAL GROUND CONTACT. THE FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS VERIFIED TO THE CONTROL STICK.

THE THROTTLE POSITION WAS 80 PERCENT OF MAXIMUM POWER. THE ENGINE STRUCTURE HAS EVIDENCE OF RIGHT TO LEFT DEFECTION CONSISTENT WITH THE LEFT WING COLLAPSE DURING IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. AN INITIAL IMPACT CRATER WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT RESTING POINT AND HAD EVIDENCE OF THE PROPELLER IMPACT AND SUBSEQUENT SHREDDING AND SEPARATION OF THE WOODEN BLADES FROM THE PROPELLER HUB. SOME FIBERGLASS MATERIAL WAS LOCATED HOWEVER; MOST OF THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED INTACT. A MAIN TIRE AND AXLE WAS LOCATED 20 FEET AHEAD OF THE WRECKAGE.

2. FUEL WAS OBSERVED LEAKING FROM THE WING AREA. THE ENGINE OIL WAS CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE ADEQUATE. THE ELT WAS FOUND OPERATING AND WAS SECURED BY THIS INSPECTOR. THE FREQUENCY WAS 121.5 MHZ. A TAIL WHEEL ENDORSEMENT (61.31 (I)) WAS COMPLETED ON 12/28/2007

THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO MR. NODORFT AND THE RE-REGISTRATION EXPIRES ON MAY 31, 2016 ACCORDING TO THE REGISTRATION DOCUMENT.

THE OPERATING LIMITATIONS ACCOMPANIED THE AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE.

THE LAST CONDITION INSPECTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON JULY 1, 2013 AT 1189.9 TT

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.