MIA99LA059

While attempting to locate and land at Covington Airport, which has an east-west runway, the pilot lined up with the runway at Whispering Pines Airpark, a private airport. The pilot realized he was at the wrong airport, but continued the approach and performed a touch-and-go landing on the last half of the 2,600 foot runway. After takeoff, the pilot was unable to climb the aircraft fast enough to clear trees at the north end of the runway. The aircraft collided with the trees and descended to the ground. Airport representatives stated the normal operating method at the airport is to land to the north and takeoff to the south.

On December 27, 1998, about 1702 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N8253E, registered to Epps Air Service, Inc., crashed at Whispering Pines Airpark, Conyers, Georgia, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the commercial-rated pilot and two passengers received serious injuries. The flight originated from Chamblee, Georgia, the same day, about 1640.

The pilot stated he departed Peachtree-Dekalb Airport and flew toward Monroe-Walton County Airport. He made radio contact with a pilot at Monroe-Walton County who reported he would be dropping parachutists over the airport. The pilot then diverted toward the south with an intended destination of Covington Municipal Airport. He used a small lake as a landmark to try and identify Covington Municipal. After seeing the lake he turned toward the airport and set up for a landing. As he approached short final to the airfield, he noticed that there were no runway markings and about one-half of the airstrip appeared newly repaved. He then realized that he was at Whispering Pines Airpark and not Covington Municipal. Feeling that the newly paved portion of the intended landing area was the usable runway, he decided to do a touch-and-go landing. After the touch-and-go landing, during climbout, he realized the trees at the end of the runway were too tall to clear. He elected to attempt to climb over the trees rather than fly through them. He believes this is when he heard the aircraft's stall horn. He noticed smaller trees to the left and made a shallow turn toward them, hoping that he could get enough clearance to gain airspeed back. The left wing snagged a tree top causing the aircraft to yaw left and pitch down and descend through the trees to ground impact.

One witness reported observing N8253E approach runway 33 from the south at a higher than normal approach altitude. Another witness reported hearing the aircraft's engine as the aircraft landed. He walked from his hangar and observed the aircraft on runway 33, in a takeoff run, and lift off with about 1/3 of the 2,600-foot runway remaining. The aircraft continued toward the trees at the north end of the runway and then turned towards shorter trees to the left of runway center line. The aircraft flew between the shorter trees and a short time later, he heard the sound of the crash. He stated the engine operated normally until the time of impact.

A representative of the Whispering Pines Airport stated the airport is a private airport. The airport has a long standing agreement with the FAA to land to the north and takeoff to the south, so as not to conflict with traffic at the Lenora Airport located 4-5 miles north. He also stated that the runway had been resurfaced in the last few years and that there is not a color difference on the runway surface. He stated the Covington Airport to the south has an east-west runway.

Examination of the crash site was performed by an FAA inspector. The aircraft came to rest in a wooded area in a near vertical attitude. All components of the aircraft necessary for flight were located on or around the main wreckage. Several large cuts had been made in the side of a tree by the rotating propeller.

Postcrash examination of the aircraft and engine was performed after recovery from the crash site by NTSB and representatives of Piper Aircraft and Lycoming Engines. Continuity of the flight control system was established and there was no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction of the aircraft structure and flight controls. Examination of the engine and engine accessories showed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction of the engine. (See attached Lycoming Engines report)