# Accident 20161205020739A: Fairchild SA227-AC, Camilla, GA, December 5, 2016

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 5, 2016, 22:23 local time
- Place: Camilla, GA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: KY7A
- Location: 31.2197° N, 84.1547° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.2197&lon=-84.1547&mi=10
- Aircraft: N765FA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N765FA-2017-02-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Fairchild SA227-AC (registry code 3377509, https://openairdocs.org/model/fairchild-sa227-ac) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: FAIRCHILD SA227-AC
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 11,000 total, 7,000 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA17FA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17FA066) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20161205020739A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE PIC ARRIVED AT THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF CREW REST.  THE FLIGHT WAS AN ON DEMAND CARGO FLIGHT SCHEDULED FROM KECP TO KALB.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROPRIATELY LOADED AND BELOW MAXIMUM WEIGHT.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WITH APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS OF FUEL.  THE TOTAL AIRCRAFT WEIGHT FOR DEPARTURE WAS 11400 POUNDS.  THE PILOT WAS AWARE OF A STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS PROGRESSING FROM THE NORTH WEST TOWARDS HIS FLIGHT PATH.  THE PILOT DELAYED HIS DEPARTURE FOR APPROX. ONE HOUR DUE TO THE WEATHER.  HE DEPARTED KECP AT APPROX. 2154 EST AND FLEW A NORTH EASTERLY TRACK AT 7000 FEET ALONG THE FRONT EDGE OF THE LINE OF WEATHER.  ATC RECORDINGS SHOW A DISCUSSION WITH JAX CENTER ABOUT THE WEATHER.  ATC ADVISED A FLIGHT PATH THAT WOULD BE TO THE NORTH EAST FOR 70 MILES TO GET TO A WEAKER SPOT IN THE WEATHER.  THE PILOT REQUESTED TO DECENT TO 3000 TO LOOK AT THE RADAR AND ATTEMPT TO GET THROUGH THE WEATHER.  RADAR ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TO BETWEEN 4000 AND 3000 FEET.  ATC CLEARED ?LEFT AND RIGHT AS NEEDED, VECTORS ONCE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORM?.  AN NTSB PERFORMANCE STUDY SHOWS AN EQUIVALENT AIRSPEED IN KTS OF 207 KTS FROM THE TIME THAT THE PILOT REQUESTED DEVIATIONS FROM ATC AND THEN VARYING SPEEDS FOR THE LAST 3 MINUTES OF THE FLIGHT.  RADAR DATA SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT FLYING TWO 360 DEGREE TURNS WITH A RADIUS OF .5 NAUTICAL MILES (NM) BEFORE DISAPPEARING.  THE LAST ALTITUDE RECORDED WAS 3800 APPROX 30 SECONDS BEFORE IMPACT.

WRECKAGE WAS FOUND SPREAD OVER APPROX. .5 NM ON A HEADING OF 056.  ANALYSIS OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALS SIGNATURES CONSISTENT WITH STRUCTURAL FAILURE DUE TO AERODYNAMIC OVERLOAD.  THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE FOUND OF ENGINE FAILURE, PROP FAILURE, OR CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE.

## 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 ERA17FA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17FA066), Dec 6, 2016: Fairchild SA227 (N765FA), Camilla, GA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's decision to initiate and continue the flight into known adverse weather conditions, which resulted spatial disorientation, a loss of airplane control, and a subsequent in-flight breakup.

## Other reports on N765FA (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20120105000149I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120105000149I), Jan 5, 2012: Fairchild SA227-AC (N765FA), Denver, CO, Minor damage. On 01/05/2012, at approximately 1950 MST, N765FA, a Fairchild model SA227-C aircraft sustained minor damage during landing rollout on runway 16R at Denver,…

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.

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