- Date
- August 4, 2009, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Quitman, GA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N43377Rans S12
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090804048729A
- Case key
- 74452
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 obstacle clearance on final approach.
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 pilot was making an approach to landing in day visual meteorological conditions. On the final leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot descended too low and impacted trees prior to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. Neither the pilot nor a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, who examined the airplane after the accident, reported any preexisting malfunctions or mechanical anomalies. The nearest weather reporting facility, located approximately 16 nautical miles east of the accident location, reported calm winds, 10 statute miles visibility, and few clouds at 1,100 feet at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot was making an approach to landing in day visual meteorological conditions. On the final leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot descended too low and impacted trees prior to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. Neither the pilot nor a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, who examined the airplane after the accident, reported any preexisting malfunctions or mechanical anomalies. The nearest weather reporting facility, located approximately 16 nautical miles east of the accident location, reported calm winds, 10 statute miles visibility, and few clouds at 1,100 feet at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43377
- Reported as
- Rans S12 (XL)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 07040989
- Airframe hours
- 112
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Howard Austin
- Registered owner
- Howard Austin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- 4J5 · Quitman, GA
- Destination
- 4J5 · Quitman, GA
- Airport
- 4J5 · Quitman Brooks County
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
- 82
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 17,000 total · 100 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- VLD, 16 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 18, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 645 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.