What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 27th 2022, at approximately 1140 eastern standard time, privacy data omitted, a 1974 Cessna 172M, s/n 17263100, sustained substantial damage while landing at the Gentle Landings Air Park (0GA9) in Roberta, Georgia. This a privately owned airport with a grass runway. According to the safety performance analysis system (spas), the aircraft is registered to privacy data omitted of williamson, Georgia. privacy data omitted Was the pilot in command (PIC) at the time of the accident. There were three individuals on board with the pilot sustaining a cut on his right hand that required stitches and a cut on his left elbow. The aircraft was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
On October 27th, 2022 at approximately 1240 eastern standard time, an FAA inspector from the atlanta FSDO was dispatched to the scene in order to investigate the cause of the accident. Upon arrival to the accident site, the FAA iic began his initial assessment of the damage. The FAA inspector was met by members of the crawford county sheriff’s department who were on scene securing the site. The aircraft had went off the end of the grass runway and came to rest nose down in a pile of stacked tree logs with the tail of the aircraft vertical. When the aircraft exited the runway, the landing gear struck the stacked logs causing various damage to all three gears. The right wing and wing tip was wrinkled and buckled in several areas, evidence of spar damage. There was a four inch hole in the windshield and the upper and lower engine cowlings were bent. The propeller was bent and displayed characteristics associated with a no power condition. A further detailed examination by a qualified a&p/ia took place on 11/29/2022 and confirmed the suspected substantial damage associated with a bent wing spar. No other damage was noted at this time.
On October 27th, 2022 the PIC was interviewed and provided the following statement:
“We departed kopn on 10/27/2022. Weather was good, winds calm and traffic was landing runway 12, so we used 12 for departure. I have made several trips to Gentle Landings Air Park. I set up for landing on rwy 25 left downwind. On turning final I noticed I was a little high so I pulled the power off and selected full flaps. Crossing the approach end I noticed the ground speed seemed a little high and elected to try to land. Braking action was not very effective on the grass and by then was too late to make a go-around and went into a pile of tree logs that had been stacked at the end of the runway. After stopping we were all able to get out of the aircraft and walked to the hangar at the other end of the runway. There were two other passengers and neither of them sustained any injuries. I received a deep cut on my right hand that required stitches and a cut on my left elbow.”
A review of the aircraft log books revealed that a current annual inspection was performed on the airframe, powerplant and propeller on 12/3/2021 and all ad’s were complied with. The aircraft had a total time (tt) of 6173 hours at the time of the annual inspection. No other concerns were noted during the review of the maintenance.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 27TH 2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 1140 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A 1974 CESSNA 172M, S/N 17263100, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHILE LANDING AT THE GENTLE LANDINGS AIR PARK (0GA9) IN ROBERTA, GEORGIA. THIS A PRIVATELY OWNED AIRPORT WITH A GRASS RUNWAY. ACCORDING TO THE SAFETY PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS SYSTEM (SPAS), THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF WILLIAMSON, GEORGIA. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WERE THREE INDIVIDUALS ON BOARD WITH THE PILOT SUSTAINING A CUT ON HIS RIGHT HAND THAT REQUIRED STITCHES AND A CUT ON HIS LEFT ELBOW. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. DAY, VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.
ON OCTOBER 27TH, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 1240 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FSDO WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE IN ORDER TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. UPON ARRIVAL TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE FAA IIC BEGAN HIS INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGE. THE FAA INSPECTOR WAS MET BY MEMBERS OF THE CRAWFORD COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT WHO WERE ON SCENE SECURING THE SITE. THE AIRCRAFT HAD WENT OFF THE END OF THE GRASS RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST NOSE DOWN IN A PILE OF STACKED TREE LOGS WITH THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT VERTICAL. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT EXITED THE RUNWAY, THE LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE STACKED LOGS CAUSING VARIOUS DAMAGE TO ALL THREE GEARS. THE RIGHT WING AND WING TIP WAS WRINKLED AND BUCKLED IN SEVERAL AREAS, EVIDENCE OF SPAR DAMAGE. THERE WAS A FOUR INCH HOLE IN THE WINDSHIELD AND THE UPPER AND LOWER ENGINE COWLINGS WERE BENT. THE PROPELLER WAS BENT AND DISPLAYED CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH A NO POWER CONDITION. A FURTHER DETAILED EXAMINATION BY A QUALIFIED A&P/IA TOOK PLACE ON 11/29/2022 AND CONFIRMED THE SUSPECTED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH A BENT WING SPAR. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTED AT THIS TIME.
ON OCTOBER 27TH, 2022 THE PIC WAS INTERVIEWED AND PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:
“WE DEPARTED KOPN ON 10/27/2022. WEATHER WAS GOOD, WINDS CALM AND TRAFFIC WAS LANDING RUNWAY 12, SO WE USED 12 FOR DEPARTURE. I HAVE MADE SEVERAL TRIPS TO GENTLE LANDINGS AIR PARK. I SET UP FOR LANDING ON RWY 25 LEFT DOWNWIND. ON TURNING FINAL I NOTICED I WAS A LITTLE HIGH SO I PULLED THE POWER OFF AND SELECTED FULL FLAPS. CROSSING THE APPROACH END I NOTICED THE GROUND SPEED SEEMED A LITTLE HIGH AND ELECTED TO TRY TO LAND. BRAKING ACTION WAS NOT VERY EFFECTIVE ON THE GRASS AND BY THEN WAS TOO LATE TO MAKE A GO-AROUND AND WENT INTO A PILE OF TREE LOGS THAT HAD BEEN STACKED AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. AFTER STOPPING WE WERE ALL ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WALKED TO THE HANGAR AT THE OTHER END OF THE RUNWAY. THERE WERE TWO OTHER PASSENGERS AND NEITHER OF THEM SUSTAINED ANY INJURIES. I RECEIVED A DEEP CUT ON MY RIGHT HAND THAT REQUIRED STITCHES AND A CUT ON MY LEFT ELBOW.”
A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT LOG BOOKS REVEALED THAT A CURRENT ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON THE AIRFRAME, POWERPLANT AND PROPELLER ON 12/3/2021 AND ALL AD’S WERE COMPLIED WITH. THE AIRCRAFT HAD A TOTAL TIME (TT) OF 6173 HOURS AT THE TIME OF THE ANNUAL INSPECTION. NO OTHER CONCERNS WERE NOTED DURING THE REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.