# Incident 20210315021439I: S.O.C.A.T.A. MS894A, Monroe, GA, March 15, 2021

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 15, 2021, 15:00 local time
- Place: Monroe, GA
- Airport: Off Field
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.7984° N, 83.7219° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Monroe, GA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7984&lon=-83.7219&mi=10
- Aircraft: N32BF, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N32BF) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: S.O.C.A.T.A. MS894A (registry code 8402842, https://openairdocs.org/model/s-o-c-a-t-a-ms894a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Franklin 6V 350 series (registry code 27043, https://openairdocs.org/engine/franklin-6v-350-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: S.O.C.A.T.A. MS894A
- Reported engine: FRANKLIN 6V 350 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 22,500 total, 158 in this make and model, 28 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210315021439I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

IN THE PILOTS STATEMENT HE NOTED THAT HE WAS 16 MILES FROM KLZU AND PLANNED TO CONTACT LZU TOWER AROUND 12 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. SUDDENLY, THE COWLING DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND STRUCK THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WINDSCREEN, PUNCTURING A LARGE HOLE FROM JUST LEFT OF THE CENTER POST TO AROUND 10 INCHES FROM THE RIGHT CANOPY BOW.  THE PILOT WAS BLASTED WITH WIND, THE AIRPLANE?S NOSE DROPPED AND THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO YAW LEFT THEN TO THE RIGHT.

THE PILOT REGAINED SOME CONTROL NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT, EVEN WITH FULL POWER NOTICED THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT TURN RIGHT AS EASILY AS IT TURNED LEFT, SO HE STARTED A LEFT DESCENDING TURN. REALIZING THAT HE NEEDED TO SELECT AN OFF-FIELD LANDING SITE. THE PILOT SELECTED A LARGE FIELD RUNNING EAST-WEST THAT LOOKED FAIRLY UNOBSTRUCTED. THE TERRAIN WAS SLOPING DOWN HIS TOUCHDOWN POINT WAS ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE FIELD. THE PILOT ELECTED NOT TO USE FLAPS AS HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECT OF CHANGING CONFIGURATION WITH AIRCRAFT DAMAGE. THE LEADING EDGE SLATS DEPLOYED NORMALLY, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN HARD ON THE MAIN GEAR, BOUNCED, AND TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN AT A POINT WHERE THE TERRAIN STARTED SLOPING UPHILL.  THE PILOT REPORTED IT APPEARED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO STOP BEFORE HITTING A SMALL GROVE OF FRUIT TREES, THE PILOT REPORTED HEAVY BRAKING.  THE AIRPLANE SLOWED, BUT CONTINUED MOVING UNTIL IT STRUCK FREE-STANDING SWING ON AN A-FRAME AND A MIDSIZE TREE.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.