- Date
- July 18, 2010, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Buckhead, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N98342Piper J-3C
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA Atlanta FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100718038349A
- Case key
- 76687
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
An in-flight encounter with a downdraft during a go-around, resulting in a collision with trees and the ground.
Findings · 3
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 stated that he departed from his private airstrip on a local area flight. He observed thunderstorms approaching the area and the winds were increasing, so he returned to the airstrip for landing. On final approach, he noticed that some children had left a gate open and his miniature donkeys were crossing the runway. He added power to go around, but the airplane would not climb. The airplane encountered a downdraft and collided vertically with trees and the ground. Examination of the airframe, flight controls and engine assembly and accessories revealed no anomalies. Weather radar data indicated that the area overhead the accident site was associated with dissipating echoes, which were decreasing in area coverage and in intensity with time, and implied a dissipating rain shower that would be typical of prevailing downdraft activity.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he departed from his private airstrip on a local area flight. He observed thunderstorms approaching the area and the winds were increasing, so he returned to the airstrip for landing. On final approach, he noticed that some children had left a gate open and his miniature donkeys were crossing the runway. He added power to go around, but the airplane would not climb. The airplane encountered a downdraft and collided vertically with trees and the ground. Examination of the airframe, flight controls and engine assembly and accessories revealed no anomalies. Weather radar data indicated that the area overhead the accident site was associated with dissipating echoes, which were decreasing in area coverage and in intensity with time, and implied a dissipating rain shower that would be typical of prevailing downdraft activity.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N98342
- Reported as
- Piper J-3C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18513
- Airframe hours
- 2,591
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- RDM Ventures LL:C
- Registered owner
- RDM Ventures LL:C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 27, 2010 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- Buckhead, GA
- Destination
- Buckhead, GA
- Airport
- None · Private, runway 27, 2,500 × 50 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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 5, 2009
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 300 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- 3J7, 13 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 22, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 728 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.