Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Columbus Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Columbus, Georgia 31909
Wednesday, September 3, 2014 12:01 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On September 3, 2014, about 1201 eastern daylight time, an Ackland SH-3R (Glasair III), N333AW, collided with a taxiway sign following a rejected takeoff and landing gear retraction at Columbus, Georgia (CSG). The commercial pilot and one passenger were not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The experimental, amateur-built airplane was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 by the pilot. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was destined for Crestview, Florida (CEW).
The pilot reported the airplane had been at CSG undergoing avionics installations for several weeks and he was returning it to his home base. During the takeoff roll on runway 24, while passing 80 knots, the pilot's canopy began to open. He would later report that the canopy handle became unsecured due to aircraft vibration, which had happened previously. The left wing came up and the pilot rejected the takeoff. The airplane began to settle as the landing gear collapsed. The airplane departed the right side of the runway and struck a taxiway sign. The airplane came to rest in the grass, adjacent to the runway.
An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. The inspector confirmed structural damage to the left wing. The aircraft was then moved to a hangar for inspection of the landing gear system. The inspection revealed that the landing gear extend/retract switch was installed upside-down in the newly-replaced instrument panel. Troubleshooting revealed that the switch was in the "retract" position during preflight and takeoff; however, the safety squat switch on the landing gear prevented gear retraction on the ground. Once weight was removed from the landing gear during the takeoff sequence, the gear retracted.
The inspector also reported that the mechanic for the avionics company did not perform a functional check (gear swing) on N333AW after the avionics installation. They did not possess a set of aircraft jacks to accomplish this and did not try to procure a set.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/3/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1201 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Columbus |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 31909 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 323059N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0845620W |
| Event Location Airport | Columbus Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CSG |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 397 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1151 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CSG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 397 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| 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) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KCSG 031551Z VRB04KT 10SM CLR 30/21 A3005 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| 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 | Nov 12 2014 4:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N333AW |
| NTSB Number | ERA14LA422 |
| 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 | ACKLAND JEFFREY DEAN |
| Aircraft Model | SH 3R |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3129 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 30 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1827 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | C91 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MCLEAN MONTE G |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 319 PLYMOUTH AVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | FORT WALTON BEACH |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 325473218 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | MCLEAN MONTE G |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 319 PLYMOUTH AVE |
| Operator City | FORT WALTON BEACH |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 325473218 |
| 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 | CSG |
| Departure City | Columbus |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1201 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CEW |
| Destination City | Crestview |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 12 2014 4:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 24 |
| Runway Length | 6997 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |