- Date
- October 1, 1998, 15:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ball Ground, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5588RCessna C-172F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 19, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981001035589A
- Case key
- 44104
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilots failure to maintain directional control of the airplane on take-off, during gusty conditions, resulting in a collision with a tree.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the pilot, he was on his third takeoff of the day from his newly built private field. The runway was 1000 feet long by 42 feet wide, covered mostly in grass with some packed soil. As he became airborne, he experienced a left quartering wind gust, which pushed the airplane to the right. The right wing collided with a tree and the airplane spun to the right resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot, and sole occupant, was not injured.
Factual narrative
On October 1, 1998, about 1545 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172F, N 5588R, collided with a tree and the ground on takeoff from a private field in Ball Ground, Georgia. The airplane was operated by the registered owner under the provisions of Title 14 CFR part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The private pilot, and sole occupant, was not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damaged. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to the pilot, he was on his third takeoff of the day from his newly built private field. The runway was 1000 feet long by 42 feet wide, covered mostly in grass with some packed soil. As he became airborne, he experienced a left quartering wind gust, which pushed the airplane to the right. The right wing collided with a tree and the airplane spun to the right resulting in substantial damage to the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5588R
- Reported as
- Cessna C-172F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17253190
- Airframe hours
- 3,151
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gilbert Ward
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 12, 1997 · 54 hours before
- Departed
- PVT
- Airport
- NONE · Private Field, runway 7, 1,000 × 42 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 509 total · 224 in this make and model · 476 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KMG, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5588R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.