Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chester, South Carolina 29706
Friday, May 23, 2014 13:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On March 23, 2014 about 1300 eastern daylight time, a Grumman American AA1B, N8890L, was substantially damaged when it impacted several trees and came to rest inverted in a heavily wooded area near Chester, South Carolina. The airplane was owned and operated by Soldiers Wings Aero Club and had departed from the Columbus County Municipal Airport (CPC), Whiteville, North Carolina, about 1130 with an intended destination of Heaven's Landing Airport (GE99), Clayton, Georgia. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The commercial pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The airplane was reported missing by a member of the flying club on May 25, 2014, and was subsequently located on May 26, 2014. The airplane was discovered inverted in a wooded area within a 500-acre private hunting club. All components of the airplane were located within a compact area in the vicinity of the main wreckage. The impact line from the first tree strike to where the airplane came to rest was about 35 feet in length, on a 273 degree heading, and had a descent angle of about 38 degrees.
The fuselage assembly and right wing were located inverted at the base of 40 foot tall, 8-inch diameter, tree and a scrape mark, beginning about 25 feet above ground level (agl) and ceased about 5 feet agl, ran down the side of the tree removing the bark the entire length. The left wing was located underneath the main wreckage. The engine remained attached to the airplane with the engine mounts, lines, and cables, and was collocated with the main wreckage. The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was located on the ground in the vicinity of the airplane, separated from the antenna.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/23/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1300 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Chester |
| Event State | SOUTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 29706 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 344026N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0812844W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1255 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 38 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DCM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 657 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| 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) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.03 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| 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 | Jun 9 2014 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 | N8890L |
| NTSB Number | ERA14FA260 |
| 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 | GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP. |
| Aircraft Model | AA1B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | AA1B-0390 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1561 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 23 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 3 |
| Airframe Hours | 2258 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | C91 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WARRIORS TO WINGS AERO CLUB |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SNEADS FERRY |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 284608528 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | WARRIORS TO WINGS AERO CLUB |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | SNEADS FERRY |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 284608528 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CPC |
| Departure City | Whiteville |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | GE99 |
| Destination City | Clayton |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 9 2014 2:04PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |