The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1030 Eastern time during an apparent forced landing in a pond shortly after takeoff. The solo commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. Earlier, a witness helped the pilot hand-prop the accident airplane. Prior to engine start, the pilot stated he intended a local flight lasting about 45 minutes. The takeoff appeared “a little wobbly, but quite normal considering the breezy conditions.” Subsequently, the pilots friends and family notified local authorities he was missing. The next day, the airplane was found in a pond about 100 yards off the departure end of the runway. The airplane was recovered from the pond; one propeller blade was intact, the other was fractured. The fuel tank was full of fuel.
March 5, 2010, Savannah, Ga., Luscombe 8A
The airplane was substantially damaged at about 1030 Eastern time during an apparent forced landing in a pond shortly after takeoff. The solo commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed.
Key Takeaways:
- A solo commercial pilot was fatally injured when his airplane made an apparent forced landing in a pond shortly after takeoff.
- Witnesses described the hand-propped takeoff as "a little wobbly," and the substantially damaged aircraft was found the next day near the departure end of the runway.
- The investigation noted one fractured propeller blade and a full fuel tank at the crash site.
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