During a flight near Summerville, Ga., to take pictures of the passenger’s house, the Taylorcraft BC-65 entered a left turn.
The passenger stated that he heard the pilot say “oh no,” and moments later the plane hit the tops of the trees.
A witness on the ground stated she heard the airplane fly over and went outside to see it. At that time she heard the top of the trees “pop” and saw the aircraft hit the ground, resulting in one serious and one minor injury.
Review of photographic evidence revealed both wings evenly bent aft, indicating the plane struck the trees in a level attitude in forward flight.
The NTSB determined the probable cause as the pilot’s selection of an inadequate altitude during low level maneuvering, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees.
NTSB Identification: ERA14CA239
This May 2014 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Fly the plane, fly the plane, fly the plane. The pilot is not doing his job gawking outside at the house. Hopefully he was not the photographer at the time.
Want an aerial photo of your house, land, property, etc.? Get a drone! Much cheaper.