Hispano Aviacion HA-200-SAETA N2000G

Summary

On 5 May 2002 at about 21:00 local time, a Hispano Aviacion HA-200-SAETA registered N2000G was involved in an accident near Perry, Georgia, 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

5 May 2002 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Perry, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Perry-Houston County Airport (PXE)

Coordinates

32.5100, -83.7667

Aircraft

Hispano Aviacion HA-200-SAETA

Registration

N2000G

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Perry → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA02LA093

1 person died.

The pilots failure to maintain airspeed while performing a turn at a low altitude, which resulted in a inadvertent stall, an uncontrolled descent, and an impact with trees and terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The accident airplane was an uncertificated Hispano Aviacion model HA200 Saeta, Spanish military jet airplane, manufactured in 1962, serial number was E-14A-13. An FAA Inspector who responded to the accident stated that the pilot had not been granted a Special Airworthiness certificate permitting it to be flown, because there were yet outstanding items that remained to be performed in order to satisfy FAA requirements. A witness stated that the airplane had been operating normally other than for the brakes, and the pilot who was also an FAA licensed mechanic, took off, intending to taxi the airplane to see if the repairs he had done to the brakes had been successful in correcting "a pull" to the right that had been occurring when taxiing the airplane. The witness further stated that the pilot had said he would taxi down the runway and apply the brakes to ensure they worked properly, and if everything was normal he would probably take off, stay in the traffic pattern, and land. The witness stated he observed the takeoff to the north, and saw the airplane in the traffic pattern, but rather than landing, the airplane continued south, away from the airport. Another witness who lived close to the airport stated that he was reading on his patio, as the airplane passed over his property, and he saw it was low over the trees, and it did not sound as if the engine was operating efficiently. He said that he saw the airplane make a sharp turn to the left, very low over the trees, and descend. At that time he said he realized the airplane was in trouble so he telephone 911 emergency to report the accident and then got his fire extinguisher, entered his car, and drove to the scene, where he observed two large trees burning, the airplane engulfed in flames, and the ground was covered in fuel. According to an FAA inspector who responded to the accident, a third witness stated that he observed the airplane while it was flying southbound it did not sound as if it was operating properly. The inspector further stated that the witness told him that it sounded as if the engine was not generating power and he saw it about a 20 to 30 degrees nose high attitude. The inspector said the witness said the airplane was in the vicinity of a big open field with plenty of room in either direction, and he saw the landing gear extend and then retract, followed by the airplane entering about a 90 degree "knife edged" turn to the left, as if trying to return to the airport when it descended, impacting the ground. The inspector said that when the airplane impacted the ground it impacted at a steep angle and the wreckage was engulfed in flames. He said that the damage precluded him from making any determination of whether there had been any mechanical failure or malfunction. The pilot had accumulated a total of about 3,400 flight hours, of with about 12 hours were in the accident airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.