- Date
- December 4, 2016, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- North Hampton, NH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N28JFJack Fehling Celebrity
- Defining event
- Approach: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 13, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20161204022789A
- Case key
- 94458
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 unstabilized approach, which resulted in the biplane being low and striking 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
The pilot reported that, during the approach to land, the biplane was low and to the right of the runway centerline. He further reported that to recover from the low altitude he added power, but the biplane struck a tree, which impaired its controllability. Subsequently, the biplane glided into small tree(s) and brush and came to rest nose down. The biplane sustained substantial damage to all four wings and struts. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the approach to land, the biplane was low and to the right of the runway centerline. He further reported that to recover from the low altitude he added power, but the biplane struck a tree, which impaired its controllability. Subsequently, the biplane glided into small tree(s) and brush coming to rest nose down. The biplane sustained substantial damage to all four wings and struts. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N28JF
- Reported as
- Jack Fehling Celebrity (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- AV1090
- Built
- 2011
- Airframe hours
- 103
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 15, 2016
- Departed
- BVY · Beverly, MA
- Destination
- 7B3 · North Hampton, NH
- Airport
- 7B3 · Hampton Airfield, runway 02, 2,100 × 170 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- October 6, 2016
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 809 total · 31 in this make and model · 809 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KPSM, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 27, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.