April 7, 2009, Boiling Springs, S.C., Grumman AA-1B

At 1158 Eastern time, the airplane crashed into a field, killing the airline transport pilot. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane was substantially damaged. A witness observed the airplane over his house, with its wings "going side to side."

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • An airline transport pilot was killed in an airplane crash that occurred in visual conditions.
  • A witness observed the airplane's wings "going side to side" before it impacted the ground in a 35-degree nose-down attitude.
  • Post-crash inspection revealed very low quantities of usable fuel in both tanks (2 gallons in the right and 0.5 gallons in the left).
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At 1158 Eastern time, the airplane crashed into a field, killing the airline transport pilot. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane was substantially damaged. A witness observed the airplane over his house, with its wings “going side to side.”

The airplane impacted in about a 35-degree nose-down attitude. The ground-impact scar was 12 inches in length. The fuel tanks were not breached nor damaged. The right fuel tank contained approximately three gallons of fuel, only two of which were usable. The left fuel tank contained approximately 1.5 gallons, of which only a half gallon was usable.

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