What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 24, 2016, the pilot of N127LC was attempting a routine landing at GA06 Monticello Sky Ranch Airport, Monticello, Georgia when the aircraft collided with several small pine trees and brush while rolling out after touchdown. This is a private airport with a grass runway. The aircraft sustained substantial damage with no injuries reported.
On March 29, 2016 an inspector from the atlanta FSDO was dispatched to conduct an investigation as to the cause of the collision during landing. Upon arrival to the airport the aircraft had been moved to the owners ?t? Hanger at the discretion of the atlanta FSDO. The initial assessment of the aircraft revealed that the airframe had sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings due to the collision with the pine trees. An examination of the runway showed that the aircraft had touched down approximately 1000? From the end of the runway. There were several dirt skid marks which continued for about 100 yards as the aircraft slid 30 feet to the right of the runway where it had struck several small pine trees. The impact had damaged the right wing and right fuel tank. The area of the fuselage behind the cabin had several bends and twists in the tubular frame. The prop displayed scraping damage due to the striking of the trees.
The pilot stated that he was on a personal proficiency flight that day and was the only sole on board. He stated that he had earlier performed two full short landings to the south and on short approach to these landings had experienced a large wind shear effect due mainly to the 100? Pine trees located west and north of the grass runway. He stated that standard operating procedures are to land to the north uphill even with a tailwind and takeoff downhill to the south. As the winds began to pick up the pilot decided to return to the airport and land but didn?t want to deal with the wind shear and narrowness of the north end so decided to land from the south end and downwind to the north. As the aircraft touched down he noticed an unusually high groundspeed and started to experience directional control issues. At first the aircraft started to swerve hard left as he countered with hard right rudder and a burst of acceleration power. This only seemed to accelerate the aircraft even more with no improvements in rudder authority. This directional control continued until the aircraft slid off the runway and struck several trees causing substantial damage to the aircraft.
A review of the maintenance records was conducted and it showed no previous maintenance issues or concerns during the last condition inspection
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 24, 2016, THE PILOT OF N127LC WAS ATTEMPTING A ROUTINE LANDING AT GA06 MONTICELLO SKY RANCH AIRPORT, MONTICELLO, GEORGIA WHEN THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH SEVERAL SMALL PINE TREES AND BRUSH WHILE ROLLING OUT AFTER TOUCHDOWN. THIS IS A PRIVATE AIRPORT WITH A GRASS RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WITH NO INJURIES REPORTED.
ON MARCH 29, 2016 AN INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FSDO WAS DISPATCHED TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE COLLISION DURING LANDING. UPON ARRIVAL TO THE AIRPORT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN MOVED TO THE OWNERS ?T? HANGER AT THE DISCRETION OF THE ATLANTA FSDO. THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE AIRFRAME HAD SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND WINGS DUE TO THE COLLISION WITH THE PINE TREES. AN EXAMINATION OF THE RUNWAY SHOWED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 1000? FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THERE WERE SEVERAL DIRT SKID MARKS WHICH CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 100 YARDS AS THE AIRCRAFT SLID 30 FEET TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY WHERE IT HAD STRUCK SEVERAL SMALL PINE TREES. THE IMPACT HAD DAMAGED THE RIGHT WING AND RIGHT FUEL TANK. THE AREA OF THE FUSELAGE BEHIND THE CABIN HAD SEVERAL BENDS AND TWISTS IN THE TUBULAR FRAME. THE PROP DISPLAYED SCRAPING DAMAGE DUE TO THE STRIKING OF THE TREES.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS ON A PERSONAL PROFICIENCY FLIGHT THAT DAY AND WAS THE ONLY SOLE ON BOARD. HE STATED THAT HE HAD EARLIER PERFORMED TWO FULL SHORT LANDINGS TO THE SOUTH AND ON SHORT APPROACH TO THESE LANDINGS HAD EXPERIENCED A LARGE WIND SHEAR EFFECT DUE MAINLY TO THE 100? PINE TREES LOCATED WEST AND NORTH OF THE GRASS RUNWAY. HE STATED THAT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES ARE TO LAND TO THE NORTH UPHILL EVEN WITH A TAILWIND AND TAKEOFF DOWNHILL TO THE SOUTH. AS THE WINDS BEGAN TO PICK UP THE PILOT DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND LAND BUT DIDN?T WANT TO DEAL WITH THE WIND SHEAR AND NARROWNESS OF THE NORTH END SO DECIDED TO LAND FROM THE SOUTH END AND DOWNWIND TO THE NORTH. AS THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN HE NOTICED AN UNUSUALLY HIGH GROUNDSPEED AND STARTED TO EXPERIENCE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ISSUES. AT FIRST THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SWERVE HARD LEFT AS HE COUNTERED WITH HARD RIGHT RUDDER AND A BURST OF ACCELERATION POWER. THIS ONLY SEEMED TO ACCELERATE THE AIRCRAFT EVEN MORE WITH NO IMPROVEMENTS IN RUDDER AUTHORITY. THIS DIRECTIONAL CONTROL CONTINUED UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT SLID OFF THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK SEVERAL TREES CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
A REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS WAS CONDUCTED AND IT SHOWED NO PREVIOUS MAINTENANCE ISSUES OR CONCERNS DURING THE LAST CONDITION INSPECTION