Accident Details
On July 26, 2014, at approximately 1545 eastern daylight time, a Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR, registration N59418, was substantially damaged when it struck trees and terrain after a complete loss of engine power during maneuvering near Panther Creek Airport (17GA) in Newnan, Georgia. The private pilot and a passenger sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which had departed Cobb County International Airport-McCollum Field (RYY) in Atlanta, Georgia, at an unknown time. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Witness and Video Evidence
A witness reported that the pilot was performing a low pass when the accident occurred. Cell phone video from the witness showed the airplane flying over the runway at Panther Creek Airport. As the airplane neared the end of the runway and began to climb, a sudden loss of engine power was audible, and the airplane descended from an altitude of about 200 feet above ground level into the trees.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, instrument airplane, rotorcraft-helicopter, and glider. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued in August 2012. The most recent flight review was completed in April 2014. Neither the pilot's total flight time nor his time in the accident airplane was determined.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1942 and had been registered to the pilot since 1989. It was equipped with a Kinner R5 series, 160-horsepower, reciprocating radial engine. The most recent annual inspection—the first since 1996—was completed on June 1, 2014. The accident flight was the first flight after that inspection.
Weather Conditions
The 1555 weather observation at Newnan Coweta County Airport (CCO), about 10 miles southeast of the accident site, reported scattered clouds at 4,500 feet, wind from 260° at 7 knots, temperature 32°C, dew point 22°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.05 inches of mercury.
Postaccident Examination
Examination following the accident revealed that both the left and right wing fuel tanks had been breached and contained no fuel. The throttle and mixture controls were found in a mid-range position, and the fuel selector was set to the "both" position. The wooden propeller hub remained attached to the crankshaft, but both blades were splintered, with one blade separated.
The engine turned freely when the propeller was rotated by hand. One spark plug was removed from each of the five cylinders, and the plugs showed normal wear. Cylinder compression was confirmed using the thumb method on cylinders No. 1, 4, and 5. Cylinder No. 3 was impact-damaged. Cylinder No. 2 was intact and undamaged, but when the valve covers were removed and the engine was rotated, the intake valve failed to close completely. The valve set screw was observed in an excessively tight position; after readjusting the screw, the intake valve subsequently closed normally and compression was established on cylinder No. 2.