Atkinson SA 102.5 N8117L

Summary

On 28 December 2003 at about 22:00 local time, a Atkinson SA 102.5 registered N8117L, operated by Benoit R. Clavel, was involved in an accident near Trenton, South Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 December 2003 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Trenton, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Edgefield County (6J6)

Coordinates

33.7353, -81.8183

Aircraft

Atkinson SA 102.5

Registration

N8117L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Benoit R. Clavel

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Trenton → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL04LA064

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall, and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to a witness, as the airplane turned to final approach, the nose of the airplane pitched up and the airplane "stalled". The airplane collided with the ground and erupted in fire. The pilot did not report a flight control or mechanical malfunction prior to the accident. No aircraft records were recovered for the airplane, and the wood constructed airframe was consumed by fire.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.