MIA98LA245

NTSB accident investigation · Wood Glasair SH2 · Holly Hill, SC · September 10, 1998

Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
September 10, 1998, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
Place
Holly Hill, SC
Injuries
1 serious
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Initial climb
Aircraft
N51AJWood Glasair SH2
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report August 27, 1999
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19980910023039A
Case key
43919

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, and his failure to perform a go-around. The pilot's misjudgment of speed and distance during the landing is a contributing factor.

Analysis

The pilot had landed, and elected to abort and go around. According to witnesses, the airplane had landed long and could not make a complete stop on the available runway. The aircraft bounced three times and on the third bounce the pilot lowered the tail wheel, and the main landing gear came off the ground., The pilot attempted a go around and powered up with 300 feet of runway remaining. He attempted to clear trees at the end of the runway by pulling the nose up abruptly, then pushing the nose over after clearing the trees. At this point the engine quit momentarily. The airplane impacted the ground on fairway No. 3 at a golf course, and came to rest at the base of a pine tree. Examination of the wreckage revealed that no obvious discrepancies were found in the fuel system or the engine. Fuel was found, and examination of the carburetor and fuel pump did not show any discrepancies. The FAA inspector stated, '...the pilot was released from the hospital on September 20, 1998. All attempts to talk to [him] have failed...it appears after checking with Airman and Aircraft records [the pilot] was operating his aircraft with a non-current registration and with a denied medical.' The pilot did not return the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, and his account of the accident are not known.

Factual narrative

On September 10, 1998, about 1500 eastern daylight time, a Glasair SH2 experimental airplane, N51AJ, registered to a private individual, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed on a golf course near Holly Hill, South Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The private-rated pilot reported serious injuries. The flight originated from a private airstrip, at an unknown time.

According to the FAA inspector's statement, "...witnesses stated that the aircraft landed long and could not make a complete stop on the available runway. The aircraft bounced three times and on the third bounce [the pilot] lowered the tail wheel the main landing gear came off the ground, indicating too much airspeed...[the pilot] attempted a go around and powered up with 300 feet of runway remaining. He attempted to clear trees at the end of the runway by pulling abruptly then pushing the nose over after clearing the trees. At this point the engine quit momentarily, most likely due to the negative G's applied during this maneuver." The airplane impacted the ground on fairway No. 3 at Holly Hill Golf Course, and came to rest at the base of a pine tree. Examination of the wreckage revealed that no obvious discrepancies were found in the fuel system or the engine. Blue fuel was found, and examination of the carburetor and fuel pump did not show any discrepancies.

The FAA inspector stated, "...the pilot was released from the hospital on September 20, 1998. All attempts to talk to [him] have failed...it appears after checking with Airman and Aircraft records [the pilot] was operating his aircraft with a non-current registration and with a denied medical." The pilot did not return the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, and his account of the accident is not known.

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.

Loss of control - in flightTakeoff - initial climb
Distance/speed - misjudgedPilot in commandFactor
Go-around - not performedPilot in commandCause
Aborted landing - performedPilot in command
Airspeed - inadequatePilot in commandCause
Stall
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled
Terrain condition - ground

Aircraft

Registration
N51AJ
Reported as
Wood Glasair SH2 (GLASAIR SH)
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
391
Engine
Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Allen J. Wood
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Airport
5J5 · Holly Hill, runway 4, 2,900 × 150 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
51
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine sea
Medical
Invalid Medical for flight
Seat
Left
Flight hours
1,976 total

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
340° at 9 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
81 °F, dew point 50 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
CHS, 15 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.