Piper J-3C N98342

Summary

On 18 July 2010 at about 20:30 local time, a Piper J-3C registered N98342, operated by RDM Ventures LL:C, was involved in an accident near Buckhead, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 July 2010 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Buckhead, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Private (None)

Coordinates

33.8806, -83.5806

Aircraft

Piper J-3C

Registration

N98342

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

RDM Ventures LL:C

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Buckhead → Buckhead

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10CA366

Nobody was injured.

An in-flight encounter with a downdraft during a go-around, resulting in a collision with trees and the ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he departed from his private airstrip on a local area flight. He observed thunderstorms approaching the area and the winds were increasing, so he returned to the airstrip for landing. On final approach, he noticed that some children had left a gate open and his miniature donkeys were crossing the runway. He added power to go around, but the airplane would not climb. The airplane encountered a downdraft and collided vertically with trees and the ground. Examination of the airframe, flight controls and engine assembly and accessories revealed no anomalies. Weather radar data indicated that the area overhead the accident site was associated with dissipating echoes, which were decreasing in area coverage and in intensity with time, and implied a dissipating rain shower that would be typical of prevailing downdraft activity.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.