Hine T L/Johnson R BUSH WACKER N797RT

Summary

On 16 April 2021 at about 15:10 local time, a Hine T L/Johnson R BUSH WACKER registered N797RT was involved in an accident near Thomaston, Georgia, United States. 2 people were 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

16 April 2021 at 15:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Thomaston, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Thomaston-Upson County (OPN)

Coordinates

32.9550, -84.2641

Aircraft

Hine T L/Johnson R BUSH WACKER

Registration

N797RT

Category

Airplane

Year built

1999

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Vidalia → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21LA352

Nobody was injured.

A loss of directional control upon landing for reasons that could not be determined as a result of a delayed report. Contributing was the pilot’s decision to continue a flight with an unknown airworthiness issue.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot had recently purchased the airplane and requested the airline transport pilot (ATP) assist him flying it back to his home airport. During an enroute stop, the ATP pilot reported that during the landing roll, the airplane became uncontrollable and veered off the left side of the runway, striking a runway sign, which resulted in substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The pilot reported that he believed there might have been rigging or tailwheel mechanical issues with the airplane. A visual examination of the brake system performed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector did not reveal any damage, however, the brakes were not tested. The NTSB was not notified of the accident until five months after the occurrence which precluded further examination of the brake and tailwheel system. According to an FAA inspector who reviewed the maintenance records and interviewed people familiar with the airplane’s history, the airplane had been flown about 10 hours in the previous 10 years. The condition inspection, accomplished about 2 months before the accident by a mechanic, revealed the airplane was “squirrely and sensitive” on the controls, but he considered the airplane airworthy. About a month before the accident, the brakes had been rebuilt, and the airplane was returned to service. The ATP pilot, who had never flown this make and model before, reported that he confirmed the airworthiness of the airplane prior to departure, however, he also reported to the FAA inspector that the airplane was not acting right during two takeoff attempts, before the third successful takeoff attempt that initiated the accident sequence. The accident likely could have been prevented if the pilot chose to further investigate the anomaly he experienced on the ground, rather than continuing the flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.