Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Georgetown County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Georgetown, South Carolina 29440
Monday, July 29, 2013 13:20 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On July 29, 2013, about 1320 eastern daylight time, a Folland GNAT T1, airplane, N18GT, collided with terrain during an uncontrolled descent near the Georgetown County Airport (GGE), Georgetown, South Carolina. The pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to Foogair Inc, and operated by the airline transport pilot as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Yeager Airport (CRW), Charleston, West Virginia, destined for GGE.
According to witnesses the pilot radioed personnel at the airport on approach and they went outside to see him land. The pilot crossed over the midfield and entered a right downwind for runway 23. The airplane made a high speed flyby over the runway between 100-200 feet AGL. At the end of the runway the airplane pitched up approximately 30 degrees and began an aileron roll to the left. The first 180 degrees of the aileron roll was uneventful according to the witnesses, but when the airplane reached about the 190 degree point it abruptly pitched down and to the right. The airplane collided with the ground and an explosion was heard followed by a plume of smoke. No distress calls were heard on the radio from the pilot prior to the accident.
The wreckage was located in a heavily wooded area one mile southwest of GGE. The airplane was examined on scene and all major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. A debris path revealed freshly broken tree branches at an approximate 45-degree angle. The debris path was on a 309-degree magnetic heading, and extended approximately 300 feet. Various fragments of the airplane were located along the debris path. The engine, fuselage and the sections of the wings and cockpit were located at the end of the debris path and had been consumed by a postcrash fire. Flight control continuity to the flight controls was not confirmed due to the fragmentation of the flight control and the hydraulic systems.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/29/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1320 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Georgetown |
| Event State | SOUTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 29440 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 331758N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0792019W |
| Event Location Airport | Georgetown County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GGE |
| 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 | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 40 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1335 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 230 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GGE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 40 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3400 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.11 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 5 2013 2:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N18GT |
| NTSB Number | ERA13FA340 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | FOLLAND AIRCRAFT CO LTD |
| Aircraft Model | GNAT T 1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | XS105 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FOOGAIR INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3511 SILVERSIDE RD STE 105 |
| Aircraft Owner City | WILMINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19810-4902 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | FOOGAIR INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3511 SILVERSIDE RD STE 105 |
| Operator City | WILMINGTON |
| Operator State | DE |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 19810-4902 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CRW |
| Departure City | Charleston |
| Departure State | WV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1225 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | GGE |
| Destination City | Georgetown |
| Destination State | SC |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 5 2013 2:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |