NTSB Identification: ERA12FA561
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, September 13, 2012 in Cumming, GA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/30/2013
Aircraft: HALL DON H RV-7, registration: N517DG
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
***This report was modified on June 4, 2013. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.***
Witnesses observed the airplane maneuvering in the area before the accident. One witness reported seeing the airplane spin “wing to wing down” before it disappeared behind trees. The airplane impacted terrain in an upright, nose-low attitude in a residential area. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of a preexisting mechanical malfunction or failure of the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Recorded engine and performance parameters revealed that the pilot reduced power and slowed the airplane while above 3,000 feet indicated altitude. Subsequently, the airplane began an uncontrolled descent. Engine performance indications were increasing during the seconds before impact. It is likely that when the pilot reduced engine power, the airspeed dropped below stall speed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On September 13, 2012, about 1941 eastern daylight time, a Vans RV-7, N517DG, was substantially damaged following a collision with terrain at Cumming, Georgia. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to a corporation and was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated at Stoney Point Airfield (6GA0), Cumming, Georgia, about 1927.
A review of recorded radar data revealed that the airplane departed 6GA0 and proceeded to the northwest. About three minutes into the flight, a “figure 8” pattern was flown as the airplane climbed to about 2,000 feet above mean sea level (msl). The airplane then proceeded in an east-southeasterly direction for about 9 nautical miles (nm) before crossing the shoreline of Lake Lanier. The airplane then turned south-southwest and proceeded about 6 nm before commencing a left turn to the north. The aircraft reached a peak altitude of about 4,200 feet msl about 7 miles south of the accident site. While continuing in a northerly direction, the airplane descended from 3,500 feet at 19:39:57 (HH:MM:SS) to 1,600 feet at 19:40:57 (the last recorded radar return).
Witness observed the airplane maneuvering in the area prior to the accident. Several witnesses reported variations in engine noise shortly before the sound of the ground impact. Another witness reported that the pilot appeared to be performing an aerobatic maneuver prior to the crash. He also stated that the airplane "spun wing to wing down" and disappeared behind trees.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane. He reported a total flight experience of 730 hours on his latest third-class medical certificate application, dated January 5, 2011.
A review of the pilot’s most recent personal logbook revealed a total logged flight time of about 784 hours, including about 660 hours as pilot-in-command.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The airplane was a single engine, low wing, fixed tail wheel airplane, serial number 72314. It was powered by an experimental Aero Sport Power Ltd. IO-360-B1B engine rated at 180 horsepower at 2,700 rpm.
According to the aircraft maintenance records, the last condition inspection on the airframe and engine was performed on April 8, 2012, at a total aircraft time of 230.5 hours.
The pilot was the listed builder of the airplane and was a certificated experimental aircraft builder.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
The 1953 surface weather observation for Dekalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK), Atlanta, Georgia, located about 23 miles southwest of the accident site, reported wind from 100 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 miles or better, sky clear, temperature 23 degrees C, dew point 14 degrees C, and altimeter setting 30.23 inches of mercury (inHg).
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The wreckage was found upright, on a heading of 360 degrees. All structural components of the airframe were accounted for at the accident site. There was no fire. Other than the area of initial ground impact, there was no linear ground scar. The engine propeller separated at the crankshaft and was partially embedded in the ground. One propeller blade exhibited blade twisting, a forward bend, leading edge damage, and chord-wise surface scratches.
Flight control continuity was established from the ailerons and rudder to the cockpit controls. Elevator continuity was established with the exception of an elevator control tie rod connection, which was fractured and exhibited signatures consistent with bending overload.
The engine mixture and propeller controls were found in the forward positions and the throttle was found in the retarded position. Both fuel tanks were breached and there was evidence of spilled fuel under the wreckage.
The engine was removed from the firewall and examined at the accident site. All rocker covers and spark plugs were removed. The spark plugs displayed an extended service life and a color consistent with normal combustion when compared to a Champion Spark Plug wear guide. The engine was manually rotated; suction and compression were observed on all cylinders. The valve rocker arms were observed rotating in a normal manner. The accessory gears were observed rotating. All cylinders were examined using a lighted bore scope; no defects were observed. The fuel injector nozzles were clear and unobstructed. Nothing was observed during the course of the examination that would have precluded the engine from making rated power prior to impact.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
A postmortem examination of the pilot was performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Division of Forensic Sciences, on September 14, 2012. The autopsy report noted the cause of death as “Blunt force trauma of head, torso, and extremities.” The manner of death was “Accident.”
Forensic toxicology testing was performed on specimens of the pilot by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory (CAMI), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The CAMI toxicology report indicated negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol. Naproxen was detected in the urine. Naproxen (Naprosyn®, Anaprox®, Aleve®) is an over-the-counter Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID). It is used as an anti-inflammatory medication to treat aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever.
TESTS AND RESEARCH
The aircraft was equipped with an Advanced Flight Systems Inc. AF-3500EE multifunction display that presented the pilot with aircraft attitude, altitude, heading, navigation, moving map, airway and approach databases. The EE designation indicated that the unit also had engine monitoring and fuel status capabilities. The AS-3500EE could record dynamic flight information on an internal flash non-volatile memory at a pilot selectable interval. The unit recorded approximately 51 discrete data parameters to the internal non-volatile memory.
The unit was forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, DC for hardware inspection and data readout.
The time in the AF-3500EE was set by the operator, and maintained by an internal lithium-ion battery between power cycles. When connected to another Advanced Flight Systems Inc. device, discrete data parameters were shared and recorded, except for time.
Upon arrival at the Vehicle Recorder Laboratory, an exterior examination revealed the unit had sustained minor impact damage. An internal examination revealed no significant damage. External power was applied to the unit and information was extracted normally, without difficulty.
The unit contained 266 data points between September 5, 2012 and September 13, 2012. The date and time accuracy could not be verified since the clock was set by the operator.
The data revealed that the aircraft departed 6GA0 and followed a flight path consistent with the radar track described in the “History of Flight” section of this report. Times stated in the following paragraphs were estimated by comparing the AF-3500EE flight track to the ATC radar data. The times recorded on the AF-3500EE were about 26:48 (MM:SS) earlier than radar data.
At about 19:37:54, the manifold pressure decreased from 26 inHg to about 11 inHg, coincident with a reduction in fuel flow and reduction in airspeed. The altitude began to decrease at about 19:38:18, and continued to decrease until the end of the recording. About 19:39:09, the manifold pressure further reduced, and the oil pressure began to reduce from 72 psi to about 55 psi by about 1940.
About 23 seconds before the end of the recording, the manifold pressure, fuel flow, oil pressure, and airspeed increased. During this 23 second period, the altitude decreased from 3,030 feet to a last recorded value of 1,290 feet at 19:40:57.
Additional engine parameters showed that, about 19:38:06, exhaust gas temperature (EGT) values increased for about 1 minute. After 19:38:06, cylinder head temperature (CHT) decreased until 19:40:46, when CHT started to increase along with the manifold pressure and fuel flow until the end of the recording.
A review of recorded airspeed data revealed that, about 19:39:09, the airplane was at 101 knots at 3,760 feet indicated altitude. The airspeed then gradually decreased until 19:40:41, when the airplane was at 59 knots and 2,920 feet. Airspeed then increased, reaching 119 knots at 19:40:51. The airplane also descended to 1,990 feet at that time. The last recorded airspeed parameter was at 19:40:57, when the airplane was at 81 knots and 1,290 feet.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 517DG Make/Model: EXP Description: EXP- RV7
Date: 09/13/2012 Time: 2341
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
City: CUMMING State: GA Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. CUMMING, GA
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 2
# Crew: 0 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: COLLEGE PARK, GA (SO11) Entry date: 09/14/2012
NTSB Identification: ERA12FA561
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, September 13, 2012 in Cumming, GA
Aircraft: HALL DON H RV-7, registration: N517DG
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On September 13, 2012, about 1941 eastern daylight time, a Vans RV-7, N517DG, was substantially damaged following a collision with terrain at Cumming, Georgia. The certificated private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to a corporation and was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated at Stoney Point Airfield (6GA0), Cumming, Georgia, at an undetermined time.
Witness reported hearing the airplane maneuvering in the area prior to the accident. Several witnesses reported variations in engine noise shortly before the sound of the ground impact. Another witness reported that the pilot appeared to be performing an aerobatic maneuver prior to the crash. He also stated that the airplane "spun wing to wing down" and disappeared behind trees.
The wreckage was found upright, on a heading of 360 degrees. All structural components of the airframe were accounted for at the accident site. There was no fire. Other than the area of initial ground impact, there was no linear ground scar. The engine propeller separated at the crankshaft and was partially embedded in the ground. One propeller blade exhibited blade twisting, a forward bend, leading edge damage, and chord-wise surface scratches. Flight control continuity was established from the ailerons and rudder to the cockpit controls. Elevator continuity was established with the exception of an elevator control tie rod connection, which was fractured and exhibited signatures consistent with bending overload. The engine mixture and propeller controls were found in the forward positions and the throttle was found in the retarded position. Both fuel tanks were breached and there was evidence of spilled fuel under the wreckage.
The pilot was the listed builder of the airplane and was a certificated experimental aircraft builder. The airplane maintenance records have not been located.
(June 15, 1967 - September 13, 2012)
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Don Hershall Hall
Mr. Don Hershall Hall, age 45, of Cumming Georgia died Thursday, September 13, 2012. Don was born in Oklahoma and lived in over 10 states before settling in Cumming, GA. He graduated in the top ten of his class at Prattville High School in 1985 and went on to receive honors as a Cum Laude graduate in the School of Engineering at Auburn University in Alabama in 1990.
Don lived with his beloved wife of 14 years, Gennett, and his two beloved daughters, Abby 11 and Allie 8, on a wooded acreage in Cumming, GA. His first passion and priority in life was his family. Spending time with his family traveling the world, skiing down mountains or curled up on the couch watching movies were the happiest moments of his life.
Don enjoyed a very successful career as an Internet Software Security Engineer which ultimately led to his position as an Executive for IBM. His work with IBM took him all over the world from India, to Australia, to Europe on a regular basis.
When not traveling the world or spending precious time with family, Don was the ultimate pursuer of his dreams. Anything he tried, he put his whole heart into. And in the last decade, he pursued his passion for flight. He quickly went from Private Pilot, to Instrument Rated to building and maintaining his own airplane.
Don is survived by his wife Gennett Hall, of Cumming, his two daughters, Abigail Grace Hall 11 and Allison Faith Hall 8, son Tyler Steven Garmon of Powder Springs, GA, parents Don and Barbara Hall of Cumming, GA, Sister Julie Hall Marco of Atlantic Beach, FL.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, September 17, 2012 at Brown’s Bridge Community Church in Cumming, GA. The family will receive friends from 6:00 – 9:00 PM at McDonald & Son Funeral home on Sunday, September 16, 2012.
Memorial donations may be mailed to The DON HALL MEMORIAL FUND / c/o Gennett Hall - A College Fund for Abby and Allie Hall. Bank of America. 201 West Main Street Cumming, GA 30040. If a receipt is needed please call 770-781-3400
Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home & Crematory, 150 Sawnee Drive, Cumming, GA 30040 (770) 886-9899
http://www.mcdonaldandson.com
April 11, 1972 - September 13, 2012
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David Jason Schorr
David Jason Schorr, 40, of Cumming, Georgia passed away Thursday night in a tragic accident near Lake Lanier. He is survived by his wife, Bridgette, and three beautiful children, Aliza (11), Caitlyn (9), and Ethan (4); and his parents, Steve and Holly Schorr and brother, Darrin Schorr, in Las Vegas. He will be forever remembered as a beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend, as well as a selfless man who genuinely reveled in helping others. David was a founding partner of Alchemy3 and most recently served as CEO. Prior to Alchemy3, David managed International Sales for MDI Entertainment, a Scientific Games company where he developed a name for himself in the lottery and gaming industry. David enjoyed a very exciting life. He accomplished everything he set out to do with intensity and a great deal of confidence. He pushed himself to exceed any challenge – be it cycling, running, golfing or just working around the house. David was also a philanthropist, regularly offering his time and efforts to local and national charities. Prior to the accident, he was training to do a long-distance cycle ride to benefit Multiple Sclerosis. He will be greatly missed by all whose lives he touched. Services will be held on Sunday, September 16, at 2:00pm at McDonald & Son Funeral Home at 150 Sawnee Dr in Cumming, GA. In lieu of flowers, a bank account has been opened at Wells Fargo under "Memorial of David Schorr Fund”.
Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home & Crematory, 150 Sawnee Drive, Cumming, GA 30040 (770) 886-9899
http://www.legacy.com/guestbook
http://georgia.obituaries.funeral.com/schorr-david-jason
David Schorr
Two Cumming men were killed when a experimental aircraft crashed Thursday night in Forsyth County.
The plane went down in a residential area off Shady Grove Road near the intersection with Lanier Drive, near Lake Lanier, around 7:45 p.m., Division Chief Jason Shivers with the Forsyth County Fire Department said. The county’s 911 center received several calls from residents in the area who heard and watched the plane hit the ground, Shivers said.
The pilot and a passenger, the only two aboard the single-engine plane, were both killed in the crash, Shivers said. No one on the ground was injured, he said.
Forsyth County Coroner Lauren W. McDonald III identified the two men killed as pilot Don Hershall Hall, 45, and his passenger, 40-year-old David Jason Schorr, both of Cumming. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
FAA records show that the plane, an RV7, was built by Hall in 2009. FAA investigators were headed to the scene late Thursday.
According to Forsyth sheriff’s Capt. Tim House, the plane took off from Stoney Point Airfield in south Forsyth County.
The plane wreckage blocked a busy roadway for several hours Thursday evening. But investigators were able to move the wreckage and re-open the road around midnight.
The wreckage was moved to the side of the road, where it will remain overnight for investigators, Shivers said. Forsyth County sheriff’s deputies were expected to remain at the scene overnight, he said.
Read more: http://www.ajc.com
First Flight! N517DG, March 2009: 3 years and 9 months after the first rivets, my Van’s aircraft RV-7 takes to the air. I had a Test pilot do the honors of the maiden voyage, and I was able to ride along with a friend flying the chase plane – HALL DON H, RV-7, N517DG
CUMMING, Ga. —Emergency crews have removed a small plane that crashed near Lake Lanier from the road.
The Federal Aviation Administration said a RV-7 amateur built single-engine plane went down at about 8 p.m. Thursday night off Lanier Avenue.
Forsyth County Fire Department Chief Jason Shivers confirms two people inside the plane were killed in the incident.
Deputies with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office are watching over the plane until FAA investigators arrive.
Pastor John Martin told Channel 2 the plane landed 100 feet from his church, and witnesses said it was spinning out of control before it hit the ground.
“They saw the top. They saw the bottom. They saw the top and then it disappeared below the trees and hit the ground. It was loud enough that people who lived nearby could hear it,” Martin said.
Shivers said the plane came close to hitting homes.
“This is a heavily populated residential neighborhood, so a lot of folks saw this happen,” Shivers said.
Deputies have not released the names of the people onboard the plane.
Check with WSBTV.com and watch Channel 2 Action News for updates.
CUMMING, Ga. (AP) – Authorities say two people have been killed in a small plane crash near Atlanta.
Forsyth County Fire Division Chief Jason Shivers tells The Associated Press that the RV-7 plane crashed Thursday night in a residential neighborhood near Lake Lanier.
Shivers said the crash occurred around 7:45 p.m. He said two passengers were on board, but had no other details on them, the plane type or from where the flight originated. He said there were no injuries on the ground or damage to any homes.
A number of people were outside at the time and saw the RV-7, a type of aircraft that’s been described as experimental or homebuilt, come down.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Arlene Salac confirmed in an email that a plane carrying two people had crashed onto a residential road in north Georgia. She said FAA investigators were en route, and that they would then turn the matter over to the National Transportation Safety Board to determine the cause.
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. -
Federal investigators are expected to arrive at the site of a plane crash that claimed the lives of two men on Thursday night.
Authorities say the pilot, Don Hershall Hall, 45, and passenger David Jason Schorr, 40, both from Cumming, died in the crash. They say the plane departed Stoney Point Airfield in south Forsyth County before it crashed.
The RV7 experimental craft went down at around 7:45 p.m. on Thursday, right in the middle of the Austin Harbor subdivision, located near Lake Lanier in Forsyth County.
Sara Vogel was cooking dinner at her home when she heard the plane in obvious trouble.
“It sounded like a lawn mower that was running out of gas. You could the engine and then a sputtering sound and then the engine sounded like it was trying to turn over again and a sputtering sound. And then there was a thud,” said Vogel.
Logan Haynes, who lives near the crash site, said that the front end of the plane was “mangled.”
The death toll could’ve been much worse. The plane went down right in the middle of Lanier Drive, missing the many homes in the area. It also missed the Deer Creek Shores Presbyterian Church, which is located less than 100 feet from the crash site, and had about a dozen people inside.
“God is always with us, but our prayers tonight, we’ve been praying for the families of the two people that passed,” said Reverend John Martin of Deer Creek Shores Presbyterian Church.
Officials moved the plane off the road, and now are waiting for federal investigators to arrive and determine why this aircraft fell to the ground.
“The investigation is in it’s early, early stages. We’re awaiting on FAA investigators and our investigators are documenting the scene,” said Capt. Timothy House of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. No one on the ground was injured.
