- Date
- August 30, 2013, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Blairsville, GA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N447JPDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: VFR encounter with IMC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130830025309A
- Case key
- 87925
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 decision to continue visual flight into deteriorating weather, which resulted in an encounter with instrument meteorological conditions and subsequent inability to maintain clearance with terrain.
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
According to the pilot, he was at 6,500 feet mean sea level (msl) when he encountered a dark cloud. The pilot decided to descend to 4,500 msl through a “hole” in the clouds and when he “popped” out of the cloud he realized he was going to impact trees. He pulled back on the yoke and the airplane subsequently impacted trees and terrain. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed the left wing and empennage had separated from the airplane post-impact. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would preclude normal operations.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he was at 6,500 feet mean sea level (msl) when he encountered a dark cloud. The pilot decided to descend to 4,500 msl through a “hole” in the clouds and when he “popped” out of the cloud he realized he was going to impact trees. He pulled back on the yoke and the airplane subsequently impacted trees and terrain. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed the left wing and empennage had separated from the airplane post-impact. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would preclude normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N447JP
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 40.347
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 1,247
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Glm Advisory LLC
- Registered owner
- Glm Advisory LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 18, 2013 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- JZI · Charleston, SC
- Destination
- RHP · Andrews, NC
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 4, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 355 total · 291 in this make and model · 304 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KRHP, 19 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.