SA300 STARDUSTER N503CM

Summary

On 12 October 2018 at about 18:45 local time, a SA300 STARDUSTER registered N503CM was involved in an accident near Byhalia, Mississippi, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 October 2018 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Byhalia, Mississippi, United States

Nearest airport

Maidment Field (7MS3)

Coordinates

34.7108, -89.7192

Aircraft

SA300 STARDUSTER

Registration

N503CM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1991

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Byhalia → Byhalia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA19LA016

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain a proper approach path, which resulted a collision with trees short of the runway.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that he was practicing landings. He departed and flew over a nearby town and noted that the air was "quite turbulent." Upon returning to the airport, the pilot entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern and began a constant-radius, descending turn to the final leg of the traffic pattern. He noticed that the airplane was too low and applied engine power to maintain level flight. The airplane leveled off, and the pilot continued the approach to the runway. The pilot added that, as the airplane approached a tree line, which was about 100 ft before the approach end of the runway, the airplane "suddenly sank" and impacted trees before he could arrest the descent. The airplane came to rest inverted in a wooded area. The wings, fuselage, and empennage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Given the evidence, it is likely that the pilot did not maintain a proper approach path, which resulted in the impact with trees. Examination of upper air sounding data revealed that no turbulence nor low-level wind shear existed in the area at the time of the accident. A review of meteorological data revealed that the wind conditions had the potential to develop into a 1-knot tailwind. However, the pilot should have been able to anticipate and adequately respond to the slight tailwind.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.