- Date
- June 7, 2009, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hamilton, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3812FGreat Lakes 2T-1A-2
- Defining event
- Approach: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090607007859A
- Case key
- 74015
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 pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a tree while on short final.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The private pilot was on the third leg of a cross-country flight when he lost his ground reference and became lost. He saw an airfield and decided to land and determine his location. While on short final approach, the airplane descended below a normal glideslope and the airplane's left main landing gear contacted a tree. The airplane's airspeed rapidly decayed and the airplane entered a stall, impacted terrain, and cartwheeled.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was on the third leg of a cross-country flight when he lost his ground reference and became lost. He saw an airfield and decided to land and determine where he was. While on short final approach, the airplane was allowed to descend below a normal glideslope and the airplane's left main landing gear contacted a tree. The airplane's airspeed rapidly decayed and the airplane entered a stall, impacted terrain, and cartwheeled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3812F
- Reported as
- Great Lakes 2T-1A-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0780
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- BVO · Bartlesville, OK
- Destination
- 1TX6 · Hamilton, TX
- Airport
- 1TX6 · Muxworthy Airport, runway 25, 3,000 × 40 ft, asphalt
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
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Seat
- Front
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 15 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- KMNZ, 3 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 22, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 17 KB in all.
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 N3812F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.