- Date
- May 13, 2014, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Summerville, GA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N29611Taylorcraft BC 65
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140513009559A
- Case key
- 89206
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 selection of an inadequate altitude during low level maneuvering, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees.
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
During a local flight to take pictures of the passenger's house, while making a pass by the house the airplane entered a left turn. The passenger stated that he heard the pilot say "oh no," moments later the airplane impacted the tops of the trees. A witness on the ground stated she heard the airplane fly over and went outside to see it. At that time she heard the top of the trees "pop" and saw the aircraft hit the ground. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A subsequent examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any evidence of any preimpact failure of malfunction of the airplane, flight control system, or engine. Review of photographic evidence also revealed both wings evenly bent aft indicating the aircraft struck the trees in a level attitude in forward flight.
Factual narrative
During a local flight to take pictures of the passenger's house, while making a pass by the house the airplane entered a left turn. The passenger stated that he heard the pilot say "oh no," moments later the airplane impacted the tops of the trees. A witness on the ground stated she heard the airplane fly over and went outside to see it. At that time she heard the top of the trees "pop" and saw the aircraft hit the ground. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A subsequent examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any evidence of any preimpact failure of malfunction of the airplane, flight control system, or engine. Review of photographic evidence also revealed both wings evenly bent aft indicating the aircraft struck the trees in a level attitude in forward flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29611
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft BC 65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2453
- Built
- 1940
- Airframe hours
- 4,100
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 5, 2013
- Departed
- GA23 · Summerville, GA
- Destination
- GA23 · Summerville, GA
- Airport
- GA23 · Wyatt Field
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
- 72
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 175 in this make and model · 2,900 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- DNN, 16 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 2, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.7 MB 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 N29611 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.