- Date
- October 18, 2020, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Carlisle, PA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N438BLAero Bristell Bristell LSA
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20201018019019A
- Case key
- 102164
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 adequate clearance from trees during an attempted go-around in gusty crosswinds.
Findings · 4
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 approaching the airport for landing, and while on short final approach he noticed that the airplane was too high and that there were variable and gusty crosswinds. The pilot decided to conduct a go-around. The pilot added power and pressed the control stick forward to prevent the airplane from pitching up as it gained airspeed. The pilot’s next recollection was seeing tree branches and the airplane descending in a nose down attitude into the woods. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N438BL
- Reported as
- Aero Bristell Bristell LSA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 438
- Built
- 2019
- Airframe hours
- 44
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · October 6, 2020 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- RVL · Reedsville, PA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- N94 · Carlisle Airport, runway 10, 4,008 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Data recorder, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot
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
- 62
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 9, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 460 total · 31 in this make and model · 387 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
- Observed at
- CXY, 15 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.3 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.