No fatalities

10 Mar 2020: American Legand Aircraft AL18 — Social Circle, GA

Social Circle, GA, United States

On 10 Mar 2020, an American Legand Aircraft AL18 was involved in an aviation accident near Social Circle, GA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in the collision with terrain. This summary draws on records from NTSB.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot performing a low pass over a peninsula encountered mechanical turbulence from a hill, causing the airplane to bounce and nose over, resulting in substantial damage.

Accident Details

According to the pilot, the accident occurred while he was conducting a low pass through an abandoned powerline easement on a small lake peninsula. The easement included a small hill. The pilot reported that he was flying directly into the wind, and as the airplane approached the hill, the wind direction changed due to the terrain, leading to mechanical turbulence. The airplane's wheels then impacted the ground, causing the aircraft to bounce. The pilot applied heavy braking, after which the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted.

Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the right-wing strut and the rudder. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Wind Conditions

At an airport located 6 miles northwest of the accident location, the reported winds were variable from 270° to 330° at 7 knots. No other weather information was provided.

Contributing factors

PilotPerformance/control parameters — Not attained/maintained