- Date
- May 29, 2021, 11:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Winder, GA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N601MXMaxson Phil Zodiac CH601XL
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: 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
- FAA report
- 20210529007109A
- Case key
- 103172
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
Pilot’s inadequate supervision of the pilot rated passenger’s actions, which led to a high descent rate and collision with obstacles.
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 flying with a pilot rated passenger who was becoming familiar with the flight characteristics of the airplane. As they turned final for the runway, the airplane began a rapid descent. The. pilot took control of the airplane and added full power for a go-around; however, he was unable to recover. The airplane subsequently struck an airport light pole, lost directional control, and came to rest inverted in a gravel parking lot, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot stated he did not monitor the developing situation fast enough to recover. He reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N601MX
- Reported as
- Maxson Phil Zodiac CH601XL
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6-4025
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 344
- Engine
- General Motors Corvair, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · December 3, 2020 · 22 hours before
- Airport
- WDR · Barrow County, runway 13/31, 5,202 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Angle of attack indicator, Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Military, Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 22, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 18,437 total · 28 in this make and model · 12,354 as pilot in command · 132 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 60 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- WDR
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 26, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 15.4 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.