- Date
- August 16, 1997, 20:14 local (Aug 17, 1997, 00:14 UTC)
- Place
- Villa Rica, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5713ZPiper PA-22-20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 2, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970816022589A
- Case key
- 38329
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
Inadequate runway maintenance by the pilot for allowing trees to be in close proximity of the runway and failure to maintain clearance from the trees.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that while landing on his own runway, he drifted off the left side of the mowed runway surface and as a result, the left wing collided with trees that borders the runway.
Factual narrative
On August 16, 1997, about 2014 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-22-20, N57132, registered to a private individual, collided with trees during the landing roll at a private airstrip at Villa Rica, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated about 1950 from the West Georgia Regional Airport, Carrollton, Georgia.
The pilot stated that while landing on his own runway behind his house, after touchdown during the landing roll, the airplane drifted to the left off the prepared runway surface and as a result, the left wing contacted small pine trees which borders the runway. The airplane then veered to the left and collided with the trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5713Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-9552
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bruce E. Laird Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 9, 1997
- Departed
- CTJ · Carrollton, GA
- Airport
- Lucky Lairds, runway 24, 1,000 × 15 ft, grass/turf
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 432 in this make and model · 650 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ATL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.