Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Zack Airstrip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Resaca, Georgia 30701
Thursday, July 12, 2001 18:45 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certificated flight instructor and the student pilot executed a takeoff, and the airplane's climb attitude appeared flat with a slow rate of climb. A witness on the ground observed the airplane make a steep left turn then spiral into trees and the ground. The witness reported hearing the engine cut out briefly; another witness reported hearing the engine rev up. The wreckage was found in an approximate 90-degree nose-down attitude, and a fuel odor was present. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction. The empty weight for the airplane was 761 pounds, and the maximum gross weight was 1,260 pounds. The certificated flight instructor weighed 200 pounds, the student pilot weighed 270 pounds, and the airplane had about 42 pounds of fuel, resulting in a calculated gross weight of 1,293 pounds.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The certificated flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a turning maneuver, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with terrain. A factor was the loading of the airplane over maximum gross weight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/12/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1845 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Resaca |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30701 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 344000N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0851000W |
| Event Location Airport | Zack Airstrip |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 0A5 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 340 |
| Airport Elevation | 713 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1845 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 340 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CHA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 682 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 28 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.91 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2551 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12719 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 12 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2100 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 1 2003 4:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N71917 |
| NTSB Number | ATL01FA082 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Luscombe |
| Aircraft Model | 8A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3344 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1260 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 100 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Carolyn S. Walters |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 8333 East Mountain Lane |
| Aircraft Owner City | Chattanooga |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 37421 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | William Kelly Gibson |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 543 Beard Drive |
| Operator City | Trion |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 30753 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 0A5 |
| Departure City | Resaca |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1820 |
| 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 | Other |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2002 8:37AM |
| User who most recently changed record | CHRS |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 01 |
| Runway Length | 2900 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |