ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 146810
This record has been locked for editing.
| Date: | Friday 20 July 2012 |
| Time: | 08:35 |
| Type: |  Van's RV-4 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N25UA |
| MSN: | 2131 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming 0-320 -D1A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Treat Mountain Road, Polk County, Cedartown, GA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Hilliard, FL (01J) |
| MCminnville, TN (RNC) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The non-instrument-rated pilot departed on a cross-country visual flight rules flight. It is unknown whether he obtained a weather briefing before the flight. About an hour and a half after departing, he encountered instrument meteorological conditions. Witnesses described hearing the airplane, but they could not see the airplane due to the inclement weather. The airplane impacted the ground in a left-wing-low and nose-down attitude, indicating that the airplane likely stalled. Based on the witness descriptions of the airplane circling above, it is likely that the pilot was trying to navigate out of the inclement weather, did not maintain airspeed, and lost control. Examination of the airplane wreckage revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations.
The accident site was located within an area covered by an AIRMET for instrument flight rules conditions due to ceilings below 1,000 feet above ground level (agl) and for visibility less than 3 miles. The location was also immediately south of the boundary for a convective SIGMET for an area of embedded thunderstorms moving southeasterly at 20 knots with cloud tops to 45,000 feet agl. Witnesses reported low ceilings, rain, and fog at the time of the accident.
Although venlafaxine, which can cause drowsiness, weakness, or dizziness, was found in the pilot’s blood, the levels were such that the investigation was unable to determine if the pilot was impaired at the time of the accident. The investigation also did not determine if he was affected by the underlying psychiatric disorder this medication would have been used to treat.
Probable Cause: The non-instrument-rated pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering for a forced landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://www.fox5ny.com/story/19072749/one-dead-in-polk-county-plane-crash
http://www.examiner.com/article/one-confirmed-fatality-polk-county-plane-crash
https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/callahan-mans-plane-crashes-in-n-w-georgia
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=25UA
https://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20120720X95150&key=1
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N25UA.html
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Jul-2012 08:20 | Geno | Added |
| 20-Jul-2012 23:25 | Geno | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Jul-2012 06:53 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative] |
| 02-Aug-2012 17:53 | Geno | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 27-Nov-2017 20:54 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation