Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Florence Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Florence, South Carolina 29506
Wednesday, May 17, 2000 11:26 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot obtained current weather before takeoff from the FBO and also by ATIS. The preflight and engine run-up were uneventful. After takeoff about 20 feet agl, the airplane suddenly and violently banked to the left. He corrected with full right rudder and right aileron but was unsuccessful, the left wing of the airplane impacted the ground. The pilot reduced power and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted on a closed runway. Post crash examination of the flight controls by the pilot and an FAA inspector revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The pilot also stated that there was no evidence of preimpact structural failure or malfunction. A weather observation taken on the airport 17 minutes after the accident indicates in part that the wind was from 240 degrees at 9 knots variable from 200 to 290 degrees. There were no reported wind gusts.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the pilot to maintain directional control after takeoff resulting in the uncontrolled descent and impact on a closed runway.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/17/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1126 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | FLORENCE |
| Event State | SOUTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 29506 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | FLORENCE REGIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FLO |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 146 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1143 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FLO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 146 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 368 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Atlanta Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 17 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1330 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 4 2001 7:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2308C |
| NTSB Number | MIA00LA159 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Richard Shaffer |
| Aircraft Model | AIRCAMPER GN-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AIRCAMPER |
| Aircraft Serial Number | GN-1-632 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1130 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 1 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 66 |
| Airframe Hours | 683 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JAMES M. HODGES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7 REGENT ST. |
| Aircraft Owner City | FLORENCE |
| Aircraft Owner State | SC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 29506 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | FLO |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1126 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 4 2001 7:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 19 |
| Runway Length | 5999 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |