Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Atlanta Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Peachtree City, Georgia 30269
Sunday, June 29, 2014 9:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On June 29, 2014, about 0915 eastern daylight time, a Czech Sport Aircraft Piper Sport, N957MD, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Peachtree City, Georgia. The private pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight from Atlanta Regional Airport – Falcon Field (FFC), Peachtree City, Georgia. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Due to the extent of his injuries, the pilot was not able to be interviewed for this report; however, the pilot's wife related from him that there was a loss of engine power but that he didn't know why.
According to a witness, she was watching the airplane take off and it became clear that it wasn't going to clear trees beyond the runway. The airplane veered to the right, like it was trying to turn around, "but fell like a rock nose first into the ground."
In a recorded television interview, a golfer who had been with a group on a nearby course stated that he saw the airplane taking off from the airport, and that the engine was "sputtering just like it was out of gas or not hitting on all cylinders." He thought the airplane was returning to the runway and was headed for some trees when it suddenly turned and dove nose-first into the ground.
The golfers raced to the plane to see if anyone survived, and when they arrived, they saw fuel on the floor. "We didn't know if it was going to blow; we wanted to get him out, but he couldn't move; we couldn't get the belt, so we were looking for a knife to cut the belt but it wasn't happening." One of the golfers then turned the ignition off and removed the keys.
Photographs of the airplane revealed severe front end crushing, and fuel was confirmed in to be in the tanks. The airplane and engine are scheduled to be further examined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/29/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 915 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Peachtree City |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30269 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 332131N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0843433W |
| Event Location Airport | Atlanta Regional |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FFC |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| 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 | 853 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FFC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 808 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| 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) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.24 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | SROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 26 2014 11:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N957MD |
| NTSB Number | ERA14LA316 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| 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 | CZECH SPORT AIRCRAFT AS |
| Aircraft Model | PIPER SPORT |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | P1001022 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Unknown |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RITCHEY JOHN P TRUSTEE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | PONCE INLET |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32127 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | John Ritchey |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | PONCE INLET |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32127 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | FFC |
| Departure City | Peachtree City |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | FFC |
| Destination City | Peachtree City |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 26 2014 11:16AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31 |
| Runway Length | 5219 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |