20231020018009A

THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN THE AFTERNOON OF OCTOBER 20, 2023, FROM KDKX (KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN ISLAND AIRPORT) TO THE AIRCRAFT’S ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^AIRSTRIP LOCATED 7 MILES TO THE EAST OF TELLICO PLAINS TENNESSEE. I CONTACTED THE AIRMAN AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT AND ACCIDENT LOCATION. HE STATED THAT THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRMAN PROVIDED INITIAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE AIRCRAFT WHICH WERE FORWARDED TO THE NTSB. THE SITE WAS A SOD SURFACE AIRSTRIP, ALIGNED AS NORTH/SOUTH, LOCATED ON THE PERSONAL PROPERTY OF THE AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. IT HAS RISING TERRAIN ON BOTH ENDS OF THE AIRSTRIP. THE DAMAGED AIRCRAFT WAS A RELATIVELY NEW A-1C-200. (STANDARD AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE ISSUED OCT 14, 2022) IT IS CONFIGURED AS A TWO-PLACE TANDEM CONVENTIONAL GEAR AIRPLANE WITH “BALLOON” TYPE WHEELS/TIRES AND A 200-HORSEPOWER ENGINE. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^PILOT PROVIDED ALL OF THE REQUESTED DOCUMENTS WHICH WERE SCANNED AND SAVED IN THE ACCIDENT FILE. THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE RESULTING FROM FLIPPING FORWARD ONTO ITS TOP. IT HAD BEEN RIGHTED AND MOVED, FROM THE LOCATION WHERE IT HAD COME TO REST, TO A LOCATION NEAR A BARN THAT WAS ADJACENT TO THE LANDING STRIP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PHOTOGRAPHED COMPLETELY FROM MULTIPLE ANGLES WHICH INDICATED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE ACCIDENT LOCATION WAS PHOTOGRAPHED, AND THE RESULTING GROUND SCARRING DID AGREE WITH THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND THE PILOT’S DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCIDENT.

THE AIRCRAFT’S HOBBS METER AND TACHOMETER INDICATED APPROXIMATELY 140 HOURS TOTAL TIME ON THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE SINCE BEING MANUFACTURED. THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS INDICATED NO MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES AND HAD COMPLETED AN ANNUAL INSPECTION ON OCTOBER 4, 2023. THE AIRCRAFT HAD APPROXIMATELY 20 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME SINCE THE ANNUAL INSPECTION 16 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT’S LOGBOOKS AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATE INDICATED CURRENCY AND CONTAINED THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION. THEREFORE, NO ISSUES WERE INDICATED WITH THE 14 CFR COMPLIANCE OF THE AIRCRAFT OR THE PILOT. I PERFORMED AND IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW OF THE PILOT IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE OVER FLEW OVER THE FIELD AND THAT THE WINDSOCK INDICATED A RIGHT CROSSWIND OF APPROXIMATELY 15 KNOTS. HE THEN PLANNED HIS APPROACH AND LANDING ACCORDINGLY AND MADE HIS APPROACH FOR LANDING TO THE SOUTH. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CLEARED THE RIDGE AND WAS NEAR TOUCH-DOWN, HE SAW THE WINDSOCK SUDDENLY SHIFT TO A 15-20 KNOT TAIL WIND. HE ELECTED TO NOT ATTEMPT A GO-AROUND FOR THESE REASONS. 1) THE TERRAIN RISES RAPIDLY TO THE SOUTH OF THE AIRSTRIP AND WITH THE NEWLY DEVELOPED TAIL WIND HE DETERMINED THAT THE CLIMB GRADIENT REQUIRED MAY NOT BE ACHIEVABLE UNDER THESE NEW CONDITIONS. 2) THE BRAKING CAPABILITY OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOOD. 3) AVAILABLE RUNWAY WAS SUFFICIENT. ON LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 60% DOWN THE RUNWAY AND POSITIVE BRAKING WAS INITIATED. THE LANDING ROLL WAS MEASURED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 320 FEET. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 220 FEET OF AVAILABLE RUNWAY REMAINING. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALMOST STOPPED, THE TAIL STARTED TO RISE AND SLOWLY FLIPPED THE AIRPLANE OVER ON ITS TOP. THE PILOT REPORTED A GUST OF WIND LIFTING THE TAIL AND FLIPPING THE AIRCRAFT ONTO ITS TOP. THE COMPOSITE PROPELLER CONTACTED THE SOD AND SUFFERED BLADE DAMAGE. THE ENGINE WAS AT IDLE POWER AND STOPPED ON PROPELLER IMPACT. THE PILOT EXITED THE INVERTED AIRCRAFT AND WAS UNINJURED. THERE WAS NO ENSUING FIRE.