Alson G Siler CH-701 N4394S

Summary

On 21 August 1999 at about 23:30 local time, a Alson G Siler CH-701 registered N4394S was involved in an accident near Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, 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

21 August 1999 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Bear Creek Airport (N44)

Coordinates

35.4001, -80.4300

Aircraft

Alson G Siler CH-701

Registration

N4394S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA99LA231

1 person was seriously injured.

The failure of the pilot to apply sufficient right rudder input during the go-around following a bounced landing and his failure to maintain runway alignment resulting in the in-flight collision with trees 100-150 yards to the left of the runway.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot spent 5 years building the airplane which was signed off 4 days earlier by the FAA for 40 hours test phase. He had flown the airplane 2 previous times that day, each for 30 minutes. The accident flight departed, then returned to the airport and he stated that he was landing using runway 21 for the first time. He was on a long, low, final approach, and the airplane bounced twice and headed towards a corn field. He applied full power to go-around but the airplane collided with the tops of trees adjacent to the field, then the ground. A witness reported seeing the airplane on a low approach and believed the airplane would land short of the runway. He heard power applied and the airplane cleared a road near the approach end of the runway, then heard power decreased and observed the nose landing gear contact. The airplane bounced, he then heard power applied then reduced, and the airplane bounced again. He then heard power applied, observed the airplane turn to the left, and collide with trees. Examination of the site by an FAA inspector revealed the airplane collided with trees 100-150 yards south of the runway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.