Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB ERA21FA165
AVIAT INC A-1 — Cave Spring, GA
| Date | March 29, 2021 |
| Location | Cave Spring, GA |
| Aircraft | AVIAT INC A-1 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 79 |
| Pilot total time | 24,000 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | 95 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout and failure to maintain clearance from a power line.
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Wire-Contributed to outcome
What happened
A witness reported the pilot was circling low over his house and waving at him. The pilot circled for about 5 minutes then departed the area. As he watched the airplane head north, it collided with a power line, resulting in a loss of electrical power to nearby residences and a brush fire. The airplane pitched down abruptly and descended into a ravine where it collided with the ground about 500 ft from the location of the power line.
Postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.