20200125003709A

ON SATURDAY JANUARY 25, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 5:15 P.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT BUILT BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON OCTOBER 1980, MODEL MUSTANG II SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF AN UNCONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO A WOODED AREA JUST SOUTH OF SENOIA, GA. THERE WERE 2 PERSONS ON BOARD WHO WERE PRONOUNCED DECEASED AT THE SCENE BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL. 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. CANADIAN AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION, C-GIFE

ON SUNDAY JANUARY 26, 2020 AT 0800 TWO FAA INSPECTORS FROM THE ATLANTA FSDO ARRIVED ON SCENE AND WERE MET BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. AN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE SITE REVEALED A HIGH ANGLE HIGH VELOCITY IMPACT INTO THE TERRAIN. FURTHER EXAMINATION IDENTIFIED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS MISSING THE CANOPY, LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND THE VERTICAL STABILIZER/RUDDER. EYE WITNESSES AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD COME APART IN FLIGHT AND SECTIONS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY ¼ MILE NORTH OF THE WRECKAGE SITE. A REVIEW OF THIS ADDITIONAL WRECKAGE SITE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE CANOPY, VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER. VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM TWO EYE WITNESSES WAS PROVIDED THAT SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMING A DUTCH ROLL AND A FEW SECONDS LATER, AS SEEN IN THE VIDEO, PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT DEPART THE AIRCRAFT. YOU CAN SEE ADDITIONAL PIECES OF THE AIRCRAFT FREE FALLING AS THE AIRCRAFT BEGINS TO RAPIDLY DESCEND IN A STEEP DIVE THROUGH THE TOP OF SEVERAL PINE TREES.

ON MONDAY JANUARY 26, 2020 DURING THE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, AFTER RELOCATION TO ATLANTA AIR SALVAGE IN GRIFFIN, GA, ALL PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE INSPECTED IN DETAIL FOR ANY EVIDENCE OF FAILURE. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE VERTICAL STABILIZER HAD NO DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE. ALSO NOTED WAS THE ATTACHMENT BRACKET LOCATED ON THE MOST FORWARD POINT OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER APPEARED TO HAVE NO DAMAGE OR SIGNS OF FAILURE. THE NUTPLATE IN WHICH THE BOLT FASTENING THE VERTICAL STABILIZER THROUGH THE ATTACHMENT BRACKET, NOTED ABOVE, HAD NO SHINY METAL, NO STRIPPED THREADS AND THE THREADS HAD A BLACK OILY SUBSTANCE COVERING ALL THREADS. THE REMAINING STRUCTURE CONNECTING THE VERTICAL STABILIZER TO THE AIRFRAME HAD BROKEN AND SEPARATED FROM ITSELF. THERE IS VISIBLE 45° ANGLES ON THE SEPARATED METAL IN THE SUPPORTING PICTURES. TIME WAS SPENT TRYING TO LOCATE THE FIBERGLASS FAIRING WHICH ATTACHES TO THE AIRFRAME AND COVERS A PORTION OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER INCLUDING THE ATTACHMENT BOLT/BRACKET. THE FAIRING COULD NOT BE FOUND. ALSO DISCOVERED DURING THIS INSPECTION WAS THE CANOPY ATTACHMENT CLAMP AND THE CLAMP ATTACHMENT. THE CLAMP APPEARED TO OPERATE AS INTENDED AND HAD NO VISIBLE DAMAGE. THE CLAMP AND THE CLAMP ATTACHMENT POINT APPEARED TO BE COMPLETE AND OPERABLE.

IT WAS REPORTED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT IN DECEMBER 2019, FROM A ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A RESIDENT OF QUEBEC, CANADA. DURING THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 17, 2019 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TRAILERED THE AIRCRAFT FROM QUEBEC, CANADA TO MERRITT ISLAND, FLORIDA WHERE IT REMAINED UNTIL ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ COULD RELOCATE IT TO HIS PRIVATE AIRSTRIP (BIG ?T? 64GA) IN SENOIA, GEORGIA. ON JANUARY 25, 2020 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHO LIVES IN OCALA, FLORIDA WAS CONTACTED TO FERRY THE AIRCRAFT FROM FLORIDA TO SENOIA, GEORGIA. DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IT WAS REPORTED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD EXPERIENCED AN ISSUE WITH THE CANOPY LOCKING MECHANISM DURING HIS RETURN TRIP TO GEORGIA, BUT IT WAS THOUGHT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. NO OTHER ISSUES WERE NOTED DURING THE FLIGHT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THE PROBLEM WITH THE LATCH WAS UNLATCHING IT, NOT KEEPING IT LATCHED.