20150521010729A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Gulfstream American AA-5A · Rowdy, KY · May 21, 2015

Date: May 21, 2015 · 18:57 local
Place: Rowdy, KY
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N26886
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA15FA220
Reported as: Gulfstream American AA-5A
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 220 total15 in the last 90 days

N26886Registration cancelled Oct 22, 2015 · Gulfstream American AA-5AS/N AA5A0788 · Built 1979 Airframe modelGulfstream American AA-5A Engine 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.

Pilot departed aiken municipal airport , south carolina (aik) en-route to wendell h ford airport, hazard, Kentucky (cpf). Upon reaching vicinity of cpf, pilot initiated a right downwind approach, began to maneuver erratically east of the runway, descended rapidly, and impacted the ground, destroying the aircraft and fatally injuring the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DEPARTED AIKEN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT , SOUTH CAROLINA (AIK) EN-ROUTE TO WENDELL H FORD AIRPORT, HAZARD, KENTUCKY (CPF). UPON REACHING VICINITY OF CPF, PILOT INITIATED A RIGHT DOWNWIND APPROACH, BEGAN TO MANEUVER ERRATICALLY EAST OF THE RUNWAY, DESCENDED RAPIDLY, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND, DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT AND FATALLY INJURING THE PILOT.

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 ERA15FA220Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportRowdy, KYThe noninstrument-rated pilot’s decision to continue visual flight rules flight in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a loss of control due to spatial disorientation.May 21, 2015 · Destroyed