A Cirrus SR-20 that crashed shortly after take-off from
Greenwood, SC a year ago was slightly overweight, according to a
new NTSB report. Witnesses said the plane, with four men on board,
barely made it out of ground effect before it heeled sharply and
apparently stalled. All four men on board were killed when the
aircraft impacted the ground in a subdivision near the airport.
According to the NTSB...
A private pilot stated he was on a cross-country flight from
Dover AFB. to Eglin AFB. and he had stopped at Greenwood, South
Carolina for fuel. He observed the accident airplane taxi out and
depart from runway 27. The takeoff roll was long and the airplane
lifted off the ground in "ground effect." The airplane remained
about 10 to 15 feet above the runway and continued at that altitude
all the way down to the end of the tree line off the departure end
of the runway. "The aircraft suddenly pitched up at a steep angle
to an altitude of about 300-400 feet. The aircraft then slowed and
appeared to experience a departure stall rotating about 175-degrees
on its vertical axis to the left. About half way down from the
175-degree rotation point he observed a slight pitch up of nose,
and then aircraft entered a near vertical dive to the left. The
aircraft went out of sight behind tree line, then he heard two
consecutive loud bangs followed by fire ball, and black smoke a few
seconds later."
An airframe and power plant mechanic located at the Greenwood
Airport, stated he observed the accident airplane taxing to runway
27 with both doors open, and the flaps in the retracted position.
The airplane taxied onto the active runway and departed without
conducting an engine run-up.
Another witness stated he was playing golf at a local golf
course located off the departure end of runway 27 at the Greenwood
Airport. He heard the sound of an airplane engine sputtering; he
looked in the direction of the sound and observed the airplane
spinning to the ground in a nose down attitude to the left. The
airplane made about two or three turns to the left before it
collided with trees, ground, and burst into flames. He immediately
telephoned the 911 emergency operator and reported the
accident.
Investigators noted the aircraft was slightly over gross maximum
weight when it took off.
The maximum gross weight of the SR20 for takeoff is 3,000
pounds. The pilot completed a weight and balance before departing
on the flight from Marietta, Georgia, to Greenwood, South Carolina.
The empty weight of the airplane was 2,145 pounds. The pilot
indicated he had 350 pounds in the front seats, 150 pounds in the
rear seat, and 56 gallons of fuel for a total ramp weight of 2,981
pounds. The pilot and three passengers departed Marietta, Georgia,
with a computed ramp weight of 3,111 pounds. The pilot and three
passengers departed Greenwood, South Carolina, with a computed ramp
weight of 3,045 pounds.
The NTSB report did not find a probable cause for the mishap. It
did note the presence of a Tylenol-like substance and cold relief
drugs in the pilot's autopsy.
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