Summary
On November 20, 2009, a Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2004 BRAVO (N319UA) was involved in an accident near Ashland, VA. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from trees during the landing approach.
According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to practice takeoff and landing at night, and due to the obstructions below, the pilot flew the approaches at a “steep” angle. He had successfully completed about nine uneventful approaches and landings before the accident approach. During the accident approach the pilot noted some light turbulence and the airplane began to descend below the “normal” glide path. He added power and arrested the descent, but the airplane struck some trees. He noted that the airspeed or the pitch of the airplane did not change when the airplane struck trees. He made an uneventful landing, but during the post-flight inspection noticed substantial damage to the leading edges of the wings and horizontal stabilizer.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA10CA087. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N319UA.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from trees during the landing approach.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to practice takeoff and landing at night, and due to the obstructions below, the pilot flew the approaches at a “steep” angle. He had successfully completed about nine uneventful approaches and landings before the accident approach. During the accident approach the pilot noted some light turbulence and the airplane began to descend below the “normal” glide path. He added power and arrested the descent, but the airplane struck some trees. He noted that the airspeed or the pitch of the airplane did not change when the airplane struck trees. He made an uneventful landing, but during the post-flight inspection noticed substantial damage to the leading edges of the wings and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The winds reported at the airport about the time of the accident were calm.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA10CA087