What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Friday October 11, 2019, at approximately 7:00 p.m. eastern daylight time, a 2008 panzl S330 with registration N540ML, sustained substantial damaged as a result of a ground collision with N166DH, a 1967 de havilland twin otter at the Polk County Airport (4A4) in Cedartown, Georgia. There was one person on board N540ML and 12 persons on N166DH with no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. This was a personal flight being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91.
On Saturday October 12, 2019 an FAA inspector from the atlanta FSDO travelled to the Cedartown airport to perform an assessment of the aircraft damage and to determine the root cause of the accident. Initial assessment of N540ML revealed substantial damage to the left wing and a deep gouge in the fuselage just behind the pilot?s window. No other damage was observed. The pilot in command (PIC) of N540ML stated that as he approached the Cedartown airport (4A4) and was 5 miles out, he turned on the runway lights and declared a 2 mile final to runway 28. He then landed on runway 28 at the 1000' marker, and had taxied about 1800' down the runway and was approximately 200' short of the first turn-off. As he was making "s" turns down the runway due to the visibility issues of operating a tail dragger aircraft, N166DH suddenly appeared on his left wing. The left main landing gear of the twin otter struck and sheared off the left wing of the panzl causing substantial damage. At the time of the collision N166DH was departing runway 10 with a load of skydivers. The PIC of N540ML stated that he did not hear N166DH make a departing radio call nor did he see the aircraft until the collision. An examination of the runway did reveal a slight dip in the pavement near the location of impact that could create a temporary blind spot. The PIC stated that he did not recall the current wind conditions during his landing. A review of the current METAR data showed that at the time of the accident winds were out of the south to south east from 3-6 miles per hour. The PIC stated that he choose to land on runway 28 because it was common practice for everyone to take off on runway 10 and land on runway 28 due to a lack of taxiway and the turn off being at the FAR end near runway 10. This common practice would save time by preventing an aircraft from having to taxi back the entire length of the runway after landing.
As the FAA filed it
ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 11, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00 P.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A 2008 PANZL S330 WITH REGISTRATION N540ML, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF A GROUND COLLISION WITH N166DH, A 1967 DE HAVILLAND TWIN OTTER AT THE POLK COUNTY AIRPORT (4A4) IN CEDARTOWN, GEORGIA. THERE WAS ONE PERSON ON BOARD N540ML AND 12 PERSONS ON N166DH WITH NO INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THIS WAS A PERSONAL FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.
ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 12, 2019 AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FSDO TRAVELLED TO THE CEDARTOWN AIRPORT TO PERFORM AN ASSESSMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF N540ML REVEALED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND A DEEP GOUGE IN THE FUSELAGE JUST BEHIND THE PILOT?S WINDOW. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) OF N540ML STATED THAT AS HE APPROACHED THE CEDARTOWN AIRPORT (4A4) AND WAS 5 MILES OUT, HE TURNED ON THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AND DECLARED A 2 MILE FINAL TO RUNWAY 28. HE THEN LANDED ON RUNWAY 28 AT THE 1000' MARKER, AND HAD TAXIED ABOUT 1800' DOWN THE RUNWAY AND WAS APPROXIMATELY 200' SHORT OF THE FIRST TURN-OFF. AS HE WAS MAKING "S" TURNS DOWN THE RUNWAY DUE TO THE VISIBILITY ISSUES OF OPERATING A TAIL DRAGGER AIRCRAFT, N166DH SUDDENLY APPEARED ON HIS LEFT WING. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR OF THE TWIN OTTER STRUCK AND SHEARED OFF THE LEFT WING OF THE PANZL CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION N166DH WAS DEPARTING RUNWAY 10 WITH A LOAD OF SKYDIVERS. THE PIC OF N540ML STATED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR N166DH MAKE A DEPARTING RADIO CALL NOR DID HE SEE THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL THE COLLISION. AN EXAMINATION OF THE RUNWAY DID REVEAL A SLIGHT DIP IN THE PAVEMENT NEAR THE LOCATION OF IMPACT THAT COULD CREATE A TEMPORARY BLIND SPOT. THE PIC STATED THAT HE DID NOT RECALL THE CURRENT WIND CONDITIONS DURING HIS LANDING. A REVIEW OF THE CURRENT METAR DATA SHOWED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WINDS WERE OUT OF THE SOUTH TO SOUTH EAST FROM 3-6 MILES PER HOUR. THE PIC STATED THAT HE CHOOSE TO LAND ON RUNWAY 28 BECAUSE IT WAS COMMON PRACTICE FOR EVERYONE TO TAKE OFF ON RUNWAY 10 AND LAND ON RUNWAY 28 DUE TO A LACK OF TAXIWAY AND THE TURN OFF BEING AT THE FAR END NEAR RUNWAY 10. THIS COMMON PRACTICE WOULD SAVE TIME BY PREVENTING AN AIRCRAFT FROM HAVING TO TAXI BACK THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY AFTER LANDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.