- Date
- April 4, 2021, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- McBee, SC · Crashed on Pilot's residential land
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- UNREGPhantom Aeronautics Phantom II
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- 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
- Case key
- 102863
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 while maneuvering in the traffic pattern.
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 of the unregistered airplane took off from his private field and described that he was flying at treetop height as he began a turn to the downwind traffic pattern leg. During the turn, the airplane descended, struck trees, impacted the ground, and sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. After the accident the pilot stated that he should have climbed to a higher altitude before initiating the turn and indicated that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Phantom Aeronautics Phantom II
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- None
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- None
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- PVT
- Equipment
- None
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Last flight review
- January 8, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 300 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- HVS, 8 nm away
- METAR
- KHVS 042055Z AUTO 25007KT 10SM CLR 24/M03 A3014 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 7, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.2 MB in all.