Aviation Crash Map

Goodman Robert Bruce RV-4 N311U

12 September 2010 · Gainesville, Georgia, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 12 September 2010 at about 20:23 local time, a Goodman Robert Bruce RV-4 registered N311U was involved in an accident near Gainesville, 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.

The record

Date
at 20:23
Classification
Accident
Location
Gainesville, Georgia, United States
Nearest airport
Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport (GVL)
Coordinates
34.2703, -83.8247
Aircraft
Goodman Robert Bruce RV-4
Registration
N311U
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Winston Salem → Carrollton
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
ERA10CA476

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 0 1

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to see and avoid marked power lines during low-level flight over a lake.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, while on a cross country flight he decided to descend and overfly a lake. While maneuvering over the lake with the setting sun at low level, the right main landing gear struck a marked power line, about 70 feet above the lake's surface; the right landing gear separated and broke an engine mount on the airplane. The pilot immediately turned the airplane toward a nearby airport and performed a forced landing. The left main landing gear collapsed on landing and the firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. A witness stated that the power lines were marked by orange balls, while the pilot stated that the balls were red and dark. When asked how the accident could have been prevented, the pilot stated that yellow or white balls would have been easier to see.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
29 Aug 2010 Cirrus SR22
N451TS
Acworth, Georgia, United States Aero Atlanta Flight Center No injuries -
28 Apr 2010 Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C
N87172
LaGrange, Georgia, United States - Minor injuries -
27 Dec 2010 Cessna 195
N3464V
Williamson, Georgia, United States Noel A. Poirier No injuries -
16 Jun 2010 Aeronca 7AC
N84362
Sandersville, Georgia, United States John S Stoll Minor injuries -
16 Oct 2010 Newcomer RV6
N13KN
Monticello, Georgia, United States - Fatal 2
4 Sep 2010 Stearman E75
N1370V
Jackson, Georgia, United States James G Ratliff No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States