What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/07/2017 at approximately 1551 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N6653J, s/n 28-5137 crashed in a pasture in gainesville, GA about 5.5 miles sw of kgvl. The private pilot was not injured and the aircraft had substantial damage. There were no other passengers on board. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed with thunderstorms in the area. The flight originated from K01J hilliard, FL at 1330 with an intended destination to kgvl Gainsville, GA.
The scene showed that the aircraft landed at approximatley a 124 degree heading. It first contacted some small tree tops and bounced 3 times before coming to rest at a 68 degree heading. The left MLG and the NLG were torn off of the aircraft. The left wing was slightly bent backward and twisted. The empanage and tail cone were bent and damaged. The right elevator was creased at the outboard trailing edge and the right horizontal stabilizer had minor damage. The propeller blades were bent straight back with no twist. The left fuel tank was approximatley half full. I could not determine the amount of fuel in the right tank due to the angle of the aircraft. The exterior door was locked by the owner so I could not perform a detailed inspection of the interior. There were clecos in the right door window interior. It appeared that the mixture/throttle quadrant was damaged. I removed the engine cowling to inspect the engine. It appeared that the fuel mixture cable was intact from the firewall to the carberator. The engine CHT ring sensors were all disconnected and laying loose on top of the engine.
Pilot statement reads:
"I departed form 01J at 13:30 on July 7 2017 to gvl, around 15:45 10 miles out form gvl I made a call to gvl traffic and informed my location and intentions. And started my checklist, while going down my checklist when I got to my fuel mixture the handle felt like it was caught on something so I push harder on the fuel mixture handle and it move to rich. And then I was wandering what did it get hung up on and thats's when I move the fuel mixture back where it got hung up at, to see if it would do it again. That's when I heard a pop and the fuel mixture went dead and RPM dropped to idle, so I tried to do a quick check of the quadrant by breaking the sides to get into but the problem was not in the quadrant. By that time I was 7 mile into gvl setting up of for a landing for rwy 23. I put a mayday call in and reported my location 7 miles se at 3000 feet and I was going down. I made a right 180 and started looking for a place to put the plane down."
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/07/2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 1551 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180, N6653J, S/N 28-5137 CRASHED IN A PASTURE IN GAINESVILLE, GA ABOUT 5.5 MILES SW OF KGVL. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO OTHER PASSENGERS ON BOARD. DAY, VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED WITH THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM K01J HILLIARD, FL AT 1330 WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION TO KGVL GAINSVILLE, GA.
THE SCENE SHOWED THAT THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT APPROXIMATLEY A 124 DEGREE HEADING. IT FIRST CONTACTED SOME SMALL TREE TOPS AND BOUNCED 3 TIMES BEFORE COMING TO REST AT A 68 DEGREE HEADING. THE LEFT MLG AND THE NLG WERE TORN OFF OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE LEFT WING WAS SLIGHTLY BENT BACKWARD AND TWISTED. THE EMPANAGE AND TAIL CONE WERE BENT AND DAMAGED. THE RIGHT ELEVATOR WAS CREASED AT THE OUTBOARD TRAILING EDGE AND THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER HAD MINOR DAMAGE. THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT STRAIGHT BACK WITH NO TWIST. THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS APPROXIMATLEY HALF FULL. I COULD NOT DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK DUE TO THE ANGLE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE EXTERIOR DOOR WAS LOCKED BY THE OWNER SO I COULD NOT PERFORM A DETAILED INSPECTION OF THE INTERIOR. THERE WERE CLECOS IN THE RIGHT DOOR WINDOW INTERIOR. IT APPEARED THAT THE MIXTURE/THROTTLE QUADRANT WAS DAMAGED. I REMOVED THE ENGINE COWLING TO INSPECT THE ENGINE. IT APPEARED THAT THE FUEL MIXTURE CABLE WAS INTACT FROM THE FIREWALL TO THE CARBERATOR. THE ENGINE CHT RING SENSORS WERE ALL DISCONNECTED AND LAYING LOOSE ON TOP OF THE ENGINE.
PILOT STATEMENT READS:
"I DEPARTED FORM 01J AT 13:30 ON JULY 7 2017 TO GVL, AROUND 15:45 10 MILES OUT FORM GVL I MADE A CALL TO GVL TRAFFIC AND INFORMED MY LOCATION AND INTENTIONS. AND STARTED MY CHECKLIST, WHILE GOING DOWN MY CHECKLIST WHEN I GOT TO MY FUEL MIXTURE THE HANDLE FELT LIKE IT WAS CAUGHT ON SOMETHING SO I PUSH HARDER ON THE FUEL MIXTURE HANDLE AND IT MOVE TO RICH. AND THEN I WAS WANDERING WHAT DID IT GET HUNG UP ON AND THATS'S WHEN I MOVE THE FUEL MIXTURE BACK WHERE IT GOT HUNG UP AT, TO SEE IF IT WOULD DO IT AGAIN. THAT'S WHEN I HEARD A POP AND THE FUEL MIXTURE WENT DEAD AND RPM DROPPED TO IDLE, SO I TRIED TO DO A QUICK CHECK OF THE QUADRANT BY BREAKING THE SIDES TO GET INTO BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT IN THE QUADRANT. BY THAT TIME I WAS 7 MILE INTO GVL SETTING UP OF FOR A LANDING FOR RWY 23. I PUT A MAYDAY CALL IN AND REPORTED MY LOCATION 7 MILES SE AT 3000 FEET AND I WAS GOING DOWN. I MADE A RIGHT 180 AND STARTED LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO PUT THE PLANE DOWN."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.