Harrison PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER N7224X

Summary

On 13 June 2002 at about 23:45 local time, a Harrison PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER registered N7224X was involved in an accident near Bainbridge, Georgia, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 June 2002 at 23:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Bainbridge, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Climax Airstrip (NONE)

Coordinates

30.9997, -84.5061

Aircraft

Harrison PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER

Registration

N7224X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bainbridge → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA02LA110

1 person died.

a loss of power due to the passenger's inadvertent deactivation and restricting the movement of the throttle, which resulted in a forced landing and subsequent impact with trees.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff and climb, at an altitude of about 300 feet, the pilot noticed the passenger in the front seat turn around in his seat to look backwards, and almost simultaneously the throttle came to idle and would not respond. The pilot said that it appeared that the front seat passenger had "...apparently used the connecting throttle linkage for a hand hold and broke or disconnected it" from the seat in the rear cockpit. With no power and almost at stall speed the pilot leveled off and crashed straight ahead into a wooded area. During the examination of the wreckage, it could not be ascertained whether the throttle was jammed or disconnected, due to impact damage, and the demolished condition of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.