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20171012016169A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Dehavilland DHC-1 · Cedartown, GA · October 12, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 12, 2017 · 14:00 local
Place
Cedartown, GA
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N323WG
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA18CA011
Reported as
Dehavilland DHC-1
Reported engine
Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
28 in this make and model28 in the last 90 days
N323WGRegistration cancelled Aug 26, 2020 · Dehavilland DHC-1S/N C1-0395 · Built 1951Airframe modelDehavilland DHC-1Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

The aircraft was making a landing on runway 10 at the polk county airport (4A4) in Cedartown, GA. Upon initial toucheddown the aircraft ballooned back up in the air. The aircraft came back down on the runway and when it touchdown again on the runway the tail of the aircraft started to weave. The pilot lost control of the aircraft and it started to skid off the runway. The pilot tried to gain control of the aircraft when the aircraft was veering off to the LH side of the runway. The pilot intended to use the grassy area of the airfield to return the aircraft back on the runway. However, the pilot was not familiar with the airport and was not aware that after about 30 feet of the grassy area was a ravine with about a 20 foot drop. The aircraft went over the edge and into the ravine. The aircraft slammed into the ground and came to a complete stop at the bottom of the ravine. Both MLG collapsed upon impact. The pilot and passenger both exited the aircraft safely and with no injuries. The pilot and passenger noticed smoke coming from the aircraft. Within 5 to 10 minutes after leaving the aircraft, the pilot noticed fire coming from the aircraft and proceeded to try to put out the fire. He was not able to put out the fire and they had to wait on the fire department. The aircraft became engulfed in flames.

A witness was flying in his gyroplane and did see the aircraft upon final approach. However, he did not see the aircraft upon any initial landings or when the aircraft went into the ravine. When his aircraft was close enough to see the aircraft, it was already in the ravine. He did see the pilot and passenger exiting the aircraft and the aircraft starting to smoke. He called back to the FBO and notified the airport manager to call 911 and contact the local fire department. After 911 was notified, the airport manager arrived on scene and saw the smoke and flames coming from the RH side of the aircraft. The fire department arrived on scene at approximately 1410 and it took roughly 10 minutes to put out the fire. The aircraft was totally destroyed by the fire.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT WAS MAKING A LANDING ON RUNWAY 10 AT THE POLK COUNTY AIRPORT (4A4) IN CEDARTOWN, GA. UPON INITIAL TOUCHEDDOWN THE AIRCRAFT BALLOONED BACK UP IN THE AIR. THE AIRCRAFT CAME BACK DOWN ON THE RUNWAY AND WHEN IT TOUCHDOWN AGAIN ON THE RUNWAY THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO WEAVE. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND IT STARTED TO SKID OFF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT TRIED TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS VEERING OFF TO THE LH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT INTENDED TO USE THE GRASSY AREA OF THE AIRFIELD TO RETURN THE AIRCRAFT BACK ON THE RUNWAY. HOWEVER, THE PILOT WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRPORT AND WAS NOT AWARE THAT AFTER ABOUT 30 FEET OF THE GRASSY AREA WAS A RAVINE WITH ABOUT A 20 FOOT DROP. THE AIRCRAFT WENT OVER THE EDGE AND INTO THE RAVINE. THE AIRCRAFT SLAMMED INTO THE GROUND AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RAVINE. BOTH MLG COLLAPSED UPON IMPACT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER BOTH EXITED THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY AND WITH NO INJURIES. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. WITHIN 5 TO 10 MINUTES AFTER LEAVING THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT NOTICED FIRE COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND PROCEEDED TO TRY TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE AND THEY HAD TO WAIT ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES.

A WITNESS WAS FLYING IN HIS GYROPLANE AND DID SEE THE AIRCRAFT UPON FINAL APPROACH. HOWEVER, HE DID NOT SEE THE AIRCRAFT UPON ANY INITIAL LANDINGS OR WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WENT INTO THE RAVINE. WHEN HIS AIRCRAFT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE THE AIRCRAFT, IT WAS ALREADY IN THE RAVINE. HE DID SEE THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITING THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTING TO SMOKE. HE CALLED BACK TO THE FBO AND NOTIFIED THE AIRPORT MANAGER TO CALL 911 AND CONTACT THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT. AFTER 911 WAS NOTIFIED, THE AIRPORT MANAGER ARRIVED ON SCENE AND SAW THE SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE RH SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 1410 AND IT TOOK ROUGHLY 10 MINUTES TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE.

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 GAA18CA011Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportCedartown, GAThe pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.Oct 12, 2017 · Substantial damage