Summary
On May 13, 2014, a Taylorcraft BC 65 (N29611) was involved in an accident near Summerville, GA. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury, 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 selection of an inadequate altitude during low level maneuvering, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees.
During a local flight to take pictures of the passenger's house, while making a pass by the house the airplane entered a left turn. The passenger stated that he heard the pilot say "oh no," moments later the airplane impacted the tops of the trees. A witness on the ground stated she heard the airplane fly over and went outside to see it. At that time she heard the top of the trees "pop" and saw the aircraft hit the ground. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A subsequent examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any evidence of any preimpact failure of malfunction of the airplane, flight control system, or engine.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA14CA239. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N29611.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's selection of an inadequate altitude during low level maneuvering, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
During a local flight to take pictures of the passenger's house, while making a pass by the house the airplane entered a left turn. The passenger stated that he heard the pilot say "oh no," moments later the airplane impacted the tops of the trees. A witness on the ground stated she heard the airplane fly over and went outside to see it. At that time she heard the top of the trees "pop" and saw the aircraft hit the ground. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A subsequent examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any evidence of any preimpact failure of malfunction of the airplane, flight control system, or engine. Review of photographic evidence also revealed both wings evenly bent aft indicating the aircraft struck the trees in a level attitude in forward flight.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA14CA239