20180506004809A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Experimental APOLLO AG-1 · Smith Beach, VA · May 6, 2018

Date: May 6, 2018 · 15:10 local
Place: Smith Beach, VA
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N141C
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA18TA142
Reported as: Experimental Apollo AG1
Reported engine: ROTAX 914UL
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,700 total464 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N141CRegistered now · Barry Maggio APOLLO AG-1S/N 0002 · Built 2015 Airframe modelBarry Maggio APOLLO AG-1 Engine modelRotax 914ULS4 cycle

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.

Aircraft hit power lines on approach to a road after crossing the chesapeake bay. Aircraft came to rest on its side. Approximately 20 ft of powerline cable was wrapped around the propellor. The fuselfage and nose landing gear suffered impact damage. The main rotor blades all suffered impact damage.

Pilot states that as he flew across the chesapeake bay,attempting to land at accomack airport. The cloud ceiling came down very low and he decided to try and land at a private strip. Once he saw what he thought was the private strip, he circled to approach for landing. He stated that he did not see the power lines and does not remember striking them or the aircraft coming down.

Weather data showed the cloud ceiling at 500FT with visiblilty of 1.5 miles at the time of the accident.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT HIT POWER LINES ON APPROACH TO A ROAD AFTER CROSSING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS SIDE. APPROXIMATELY 20 FT OF POWERLINE CABLE WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE PROPELLOR. THE FUSELFAGE AND NOSE LANDING GEAR SUFFERED IMPACT DAMAGE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES ALL SUFFERED IMPACT DAMAGE.

PILOT STATES THAT AS HE FLEW ACROSS THE CHESAPEAKE BAY,ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT ACCOMACK AIRPORT. THE CLOUD CEILING CAME DOWN VERY LOW AND HE DECIDED TO TRY AND LAND AT A PRIVATE STRIP. ONCE HE SAW WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE PRIVATE STRIP, HE CIRCLED TO APPROACH FOR LANDING. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE POWER LINES AND DOES NOT REMEMBER STRIKING THEM OR THE AIRCRAFT COMING DOWN.

WEATHER DATA SHOWED THE CLOUD CEILING AT 500FT WITH VISIBLILTY OF 1.5 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

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 ERA18TA142Accident · Minor injuriesFinal reportSmith Beach, VAThe noninstrument-rated pilot's inadequate preflight and in-flight weather planning, which resulted in an off-airport precautionary landing to avoid weather and a subsequent collision with power lines.May 6, 2018 · Substantial damage