History of Flight
On September 24, 2011, about 1949 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 120, registration N3101N, was substantially damaged when it struck trees and terrain near Crisp County-Cordele Airport (CKF) in Cordele, Georgia. The student pilot sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to a lineman at the fixed-based operator (FBO) at CKF, he fueled the accident airplane with 16.3 gallons of fuel on September 22, 2011, at 1000. On the morning of the accident, the lineman spoke with the pilot, who declined fuel. The lineman later observed the pilot performing touch-and-go landings on runway 5 and asked again via radio if fuel was needed; the pilot replied, "I'll do it later." The lineman saw the pilot secure the airplane after the morning flight and had no further contact. Fuel receipt records indicated no additional fueling after September 22.
A witness reported seeing the airplane take off from runway 10 at about 1915 on the accident day. After watching the climb on the runway heading, the witness lost sight when entering a building. Two other witnesses reported hearing the engine and then a loud noise like a falling tree.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a student pilot certificate issued February 4, 2010, with endorsements for solo flight in Cessna 120 and Cessna 150 models. His personal flight log showed 109.7 total hours, of which 104.3 were in the accident airplane. The log was endorsed for repeated solo cross-country flights. On September 22 and 23, he logged 0.5 and 0.8 hours respectively, with 7 takeoffs and landings. On the accident day, he logged two 0.5-hour flights between CKF and Jimmy Carter Regional Airport (ACJ) in Americus, Georgia. He held a third-class medical certificate with a requirement for corrective lenses.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1947 and originally equipped with a Continental C-85-12 engine, which was replaced with a Continental O-200-A engine on March 6, 1989. The most recent annual inspection was completed on June 3, 2011, at 3,166 flight hours. The tachometer indicated an additional 45 flight hours since then.
The aircraft had two 12.5-gallon fuel tanks with mechanical direct-reading gauges at the wing root. The gauges were marked F, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, and a red zone below 1/4 labeled "NO TAKE OFF."
Meteorological Information
Weather conditions reported at Southwest Georgia Regional Airport (ABY), about 35 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, at 1953 included calm winds, scattered clouds at 9,000 feet, temperature 27°C, dewpoint 21°C, and altimeter 29.91 inches of mercury. Sunset occurred at 1929, and the end of civil twilight at 1954.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The initial impact point was approximately 600 feet southeast of the departure end of runway 10, at a height of about 45 feet above ground, with freshly broken tree branches. Three additional tree strikes occurred at progressively lower heights, the last at about 30 feet. The wreckage path was oriented 200 degrees magnetic, and the airplane came to rest inverted about 175 feet from the initial impact point.
All flight control surfaces remained attached, and control continuity was confirmed. The elevator trim tab was neutral. The leading edges of both wings and left horizontal stabilizer had concave depressions consistent with tree contact.
The fuel strainer bowl was displaced and contained no water, debris, or fuel. The fuel selector was in the left tank position. Both fuel tanks were intact and devoid of fuel. No foliage blight was observed at the scene the next day.
The propeller remained attached with both blades bent toward the non-cambered side (30° and 10°), but no evidence of leading edge damage, polishing, or chordwise scratching. The engine was intact except for the separated carburetor. Throttle and mixture controls were free; carburetor heat control was separated.
Cylinder examination via borescope showed normal deposits; all valves were in place except the number one exhaust push rod, which had impact damage. Crankshaft rotation produced thumb compression on all cylinders, and valvetrain continuity was confirmed except for the removed push rod. Spark plugs showed normal wear with dark oily deposits. Magnetos produced spark at all terminals.
The carburetor was separated but intact. The air box was crushed, and the air filter had dirt on its exterior face. The interior face was clean. The fuel screen was clean. Disassembly revealed no fuel, water, or contamination in the float bowl; the float and needle valve were free.
The oil filter had no metallic particles.
Additional Information
An autopsy and toxicological testing were performed. Tests were negative for ethanol; carbon monoxide, cyanide, and drug tests could not be conducted due to sample quantity.
A handheld GPS unit (Lowrance AIRMAP 2000c) was recovered and data extracted. The unit stored trail points but no time, date, or altitude. Retrieved track data coincided with the pilot's log for flights on September 23 and the accident flight. The final recorded points suggested a loss of data. The track began at the hangar, proceeded to runway 10, departed, flew southwest about 8 nm, then east about 4 nm, returned for an overhead entry to left base for runway 10, tracked the runway length, and began a turn northeast about 0.5 nm beyond the departure end.
According to the Cessna 150J Owner's Manual, the O-200-A engine consumes between 3.2 and 7.0 gallons per hour at 2,500 feet msl, depending on rpm (2,100–2,750). Fuel used during takeoff and climb was estimated at 0.6 gallons.