14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, September 16, 2014 in Fort Gaines, GA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/18/2015
Aircraft: PIPER J3C-65, registration: N95480
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.
The pilot/owner and a pilot-rated passenger were on the first leg of a short, cross-country flight and did not arrive at their destination. A search was initiated, and the wreckage was located a week later in a remote area of a river in about 10 to 15 ft of water. No witnesses to the accident were located. The pilot was found at the rear seat position, and the passenger was found still buckled into the front seat.
All major structural components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site, and flight control continuity was confirmed to the cockpit controls. The engine was removed from the airframe and disassembled; it did not reveal any abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation. The cork-and-rod fuel quantity indicator was bent over and captured in the “empty” position; however, the fuel tank was breached, and the airplane was partially inverted in the water. Automated fueling records revealed that the pilot twice attempted to purchase fuel before the flight but only obtained 0.173 gallon. It could not be determined if the pilot obtained additional fuel from another source. The width of the river provided adequate room for a forced landing; however, the damage to the airframe and the occupants’ injuries were consistent with an out-of-control condition at the time of impact.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during flight, which resulted in a collision with a river.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On September 16, 2014, about 1140 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Piper J3C-65, N95480, collided with the Chattahoochee River near Fort Gaines, Georgia. The airline transport pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Headland Municipal Airport (0J6), Headland, Alabama about 1000 central daylight time (CDT) and was destined for Weedon Field (EUF), Eufaula, Alabama.
There were no known witnesses to the accident. The airplane was not equipped with a transponder and no radar or GPS data was found. After the flight did not arrive at its destination, a search and rescue operation was initiated. The wreckage was located on September 23, 2014, in a remote area of the Chattahoochee River in about 10 to 15 feet of water. The wreckage was recovered on September 24, 2014.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot, age 44, held an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, airplane multi-engine land, airplane single engine sea, rotorcraft-helicopter, and instrument helicopter. He was also a flight instructor with airplane single and multiengine, rotorcraft-helicopter, instrument airplane instrument-helicopter ratings. He reported a total flight experience of 5,700 hours, including 200 hours during the last six months, on his class 1 medical certificate application, dated July 23, 2014. The medical certificate was unrestricted.
The pilot-rated passenger, age 43, held an ATP certificate with airplane multiengine land, airplane single engine land, rotorcraft-helicopter, and instrument helicopter ratings. He did not possess a current or previous FAA medical certificate. He reported 1,600 hours total flight time, including 900 hours in airplanes, on his most recent FAA rating (ATP) application, dated February 18, 2012.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The airplane was a Piper model J3C-65 that was manufactured in 1942. It was powered by a Continental A75-8F engine, rated at 65 horsepower and was equipped with a Sensenich wooden, fixed-pitch propeller.
An examination of available maintenance records revealed that an annual inspection was performed on the airframe and engine on August 9, 2014. The airframe total time at the annual inspection was 2,698 hours.
FAA registration records indicated that the pilot purchased the airplane on September 1, 2010.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
The 1135 EDT surface weather observation for Blakely, Georgia (BIJ), located about 12 miles southeast of the accident site, included broken clouds at 1,800 feet agl, overcast clouds at 2,200 feet agl, wind from 200 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles or greater.
The 1037 CDT (1137 EDT) surface weather observation for Eufaula, Alabama (EUF), located about 21 miles northwest of the accident site, included scattered clouds at 1,400 feet agl, broken clouds at 2,100 feet agl, wind variable at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles or greater, and altimeter setting 30.06 inches of mercury.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
An initial examination of the wreckage at the recovery site revealed that all major structural components of the airframe and engine were accounted for. The left and right main landing gear, including the wheels and tires, were found by local residents in the river, downstream from the accident site. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the ailerons, elevator, and rudder to the cockpit controls. Both wings remained intact and partially connected the fuselage. The right wing exhibited crushing signatures beginning at the leading edge and continuing in the aft direction. The empennage was generally intact. The engine remained attached to the firewall. Both propeller blade tips were broken free and the remaining blade roots were splintered due to impact forces.
The wreckage was moved to a storage facility at Griffin, Georgia and was examined by the investigation team on September 26, 2014.
The fuel tank was ruptured at a lower seam weld joint from impact forces. The fuel cap was in place and secure. The fuel quantity indicator, consisting on a sliding rod and cork assembly, indicated empty, and the pipe that held the indicator rod was bent over about 90 degrees. The fuel strainer was broken open and the bowl was missing. The cockpit-mounted fuel lever was in the "on" position. The engine throttle was found in the mid-range position.
The engine was intact and attached to the firewall. The top spark plugs and rocker covers were removed and the crankshaft was rotated by manually turning the propeller. Continuity was confirmed to all cylinders and to the rear accessory drives. Compression and suction were confirmed on all cylinders. The numbers 2 and 4 spark plugs were broken in half. The electrodes of all plugs exhibited dark deposits and normal wear when compared to a Champion inspection chart. The oil screen was free of metallic particles. The left and right magnetos were removed and found to be saturated with water. The units were opened and an attempt was made to dry them with a hair dryer. After re-assembly, three of the four leads on the left magneto produced a spark when rotated. No spark could be observed on the right magneto. The carburetor was partially broken away from the engine. The bowl was full of water. No fuel was present. The fuel screen contained a small amount of particulate debris. The unit was disassembled and the float and needle valve were in place and free to move. The needle valve seat was clean.
The cylinders were removed and engine was disassembled. No anomalies were noted with the cylinders, valves, pushrods, and pistons; power train continuity was confirmed and all components indicated normal operating signatures. All bearings were coated with oil. The engine case, crankshaft, camshaft and bearings were normal in appearance.
The inspection of the engine did not reveal any abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation or production of rated horsepower. Internal continuity of the engine was confirmed.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
A postmortem examination of the pilot was performed at the Central Regional Lab of the Division of Forensic Sciences, Georgia Bureau of Investigation on September 26, 2015. The autopsy report noted the cause of death as "multiple blunt force trauma in conjunction with asphyxia due to drowning" and the manner of death was "accident."
Forensic toxicology testing of the pilot 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 60 mg/dL ethanol in the liver, and 48 mg/dL ethanol in the muscle. N-propanol was detected in the liver. Testing for cyanide and carbon monoxide was not performed. Rosuvastatin (Crestor®) was detected in the liver and muscle.
Given the advanced stage of decomposition of the specimens, the ethanol found was likely from sources other than ingestion.
The pilot reported the use of esomeprazole (Nexium®) on his most recent first class medical certificate application. Nexium is a proton pump inhibitor medication that decreases the amount of acid produced in the stomach. It is available by prescription or over-the-counter. The Crestor found in the toxicology results was not reported to the FAA by the pilot. Crestor is a prescription medication used to reduce blood cholesterol levels.
A postmortem examination of the pilot-rated passenger was performed at the Central Regional Lab of the Division of Forensic Sciences, Georgia Bureau of Investigation on September 26, 2015. The autopsy report noted the cause of death as "multiple blunt force trauma" and the manner of death was "accident."
Forensic toxicology testing of the pilot was performed on specimens of the pilot-rated passenger by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory (CAMI), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The CAMI toxicology report indicated 81 mg/dL ethanol in the liver, and 134 mg/dL ethanol in the muscle. N-propanol and N-butanol was detected in the muscle and liver. Testing for cyanide and carbon monoxide was not performed. Desmethylsertraline, diphenhydramine, and sertraline were detected in the liver and muscle.
Sertraline (Zoloft®) is a prescription antidepressant used for a variety of conditions including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, posttraumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder. Desmethylsertraline is a metabolite of sertraline. Diphenhydramine is an over-the-counter antihistamine used to treat allergic conditions
and as a sleep aid. It is available in several generic of brand name products such as Benadryl®, Sominex®, Advil PM®, Hydramine®, etc.
SURVIVAL ASPECTS
First responders noted that the lap belts for the pilot and pilot-rated passengers were still connected; however, the shoulder harnesses for both seats were not connected and were not damaged. The pilot was found at the rear cockpit seat position and the passenger was found in the front seat. The pilot was most of the way out of the aircraft, but one of his feet was still lodged inside the aircraft.
TESTS AND RESEARCH
Fueling History
According to fueling records provided by the airport manager at 0J6, the pilot attempted to purchase 100LL aviation fuel on the morning of the accident at 0719 CDT and again at 0724 CDT, using two different credit cards. The two transactions totaled 0.173 gallons. The reason that the pilot could not purchase more fuel was not determined. A similar occurrence was recorded two days earlier, also at 0J6. The pilot purchased a total of 0.182 gallons of 100LL with two credit card transactions. It was not determined if the pilot was able to obtain fuel from another source.
STEVEN A. HAASE: http://registry.faa.gov/N95480
NTSB Identification: ERA14FA455
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, September 16, 2014 in Fort Gaines, GA
Aircraft: PIPER J3C-65, registration: N95480
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 16, 2014, about 1140 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Piper J3C-65, N95480, collided with the Chattahoochee River near Fort Gaines, Georgia. The airline transport pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Headland Municipal Airport (0J6), Headland. Alabama about 1000 central daylight time (CDT) and was destined for Weedon Field (EUF), Eufaula, Alabama.
After the flight did not arrive at its destination, a search and rescue operation was initiated. The wreckage was located on September 23, 2014 in a remote area in 10 to 15 feet of water. The wreckage was recovered on September 24, 2014.
An initial examination of the wreckage revealed that all major structural components of the airframe and engine were located and recovered. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the ailerons, elevator, and rudder to the cockpit controls. The engine remained attached to the firewall. The fuel tank was ruptured from impact forces. Internal continuity of the engine was confirmed. Both propeller blade tips were broken free and the remaining blade roots were splintered due to impact forces.
Any witnesses should email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.
Federal authorities will investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash involving a small two-seat plane, which was found submerged in the Chattahoochee River on Wednesday.
Henry County Sheriff Will Maddox said a deputy sheriff spotted the plane in the water around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. He said any further investigation will be taken over by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
According to a statement from the FAA, officials with the FAA were notified by Georgia police in Clay County, Georgia, about the discovery of wreckage of a Piper aircraft submerged in about 15 feet of water in the Chattahoochee River near Peachtree Corners, Georgia. The statement from the FAA said officials with the FAA along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate what happened during the crash.
Maddox confirmed the bodies of both Steven Alec Haase and David Michael Marlow were found inside the plane.
Maddox said the plane was found about five miles south of Franklin Landing, and about 30 feet from the Georgia shore of the river. He said a deputy with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, who was searching from one of several boats, happened to see the plane under the water.
“It was completely submerged in the water,” Maddox said. “You could look down in the water and see it.”
Maddox said the Army Corps of Engineers brought a barge on the river to bring the airplane and two men out of the river.
Fishermen initially discovered a strut with a tire attached to it in the river Tuesday afternoon.
The two friends, Haase and Marlow, took off in the small plane from the Headland airport between 10 and 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16, headed toward Eufaula. They were reported missing after they never returned to Headland, which led to a massive search of the area.
A Civil Air Patrol statement referred to the plane as a vintage, olive drab military observation plane built in 1942. It is a Piper J3C-65 model.
Multiple law enforcement agencies took part in the week-long search for the antique plane, which ranged from airplanes with the Civil Air Patrol, to a helicopter from the Dale County Sheriff’s Office, to officials with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, along with sheriff’s offices in Clay County and Early County.
Felicia Marlow, the wife of David Michael Marlow, told the Eagle that both men were retired from serving in the U.S. Army and both had experience flying planes and helicopters, particularly the Kiowa Warrior helicopter.
- Source: http://www.dothaneagle.com
Passenger David Michael Marlow (L) was with pilot and owner Steven Alec Haase (R). They never reached their destination in Eufaula.
JAY HARE / DOTHAN EAGLE
A barge brings the wreckage of a Steven Haase's plane up the Chattahoochee River late Wednesday afternoon. Authorities found the bodies of Haase and David Marlow inside the small, two-seat airplane submerged in the Chattahoochee River.
Piper L-4 Grasshopper, N95480
A search crew takes off in a Dale County Sheriffs Department helicopter from the Abbeville Municipal Airport on Tuesday in search of Steven Haase's missing plane.
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Photo of the missing Piper L-4 Grasshopper.
NOTE - The person has been blurred as he is not one of the missing people.
(Source: Family)
Updated: Monday 8:01 PM, September 22, 2014
Despite a thorough search over the weekend there is still no sign of the missing plane in Henry County.
The location of last cellphone ping is all the family has to go off of in the search for the two missing pilots.
Volunteers from the Red Cross and the Civil Air Patrol has been helping in the search.
Family and friends say this weekend dozens of people from the community were out looking but as Monday rolled around and the start of a new work week volunteers are dropping off.
Even though law enforcement has no clue where the two men are and family and friends are keeping hope alive.
Anyone with property in Henry County to take a walk around it to see if you see something unusual.
If you have any information or saw anything on Tuesday September 16th you are asked to call the police.
ABBEVILLE, Ala. – Civil Air Patrol’s Alabama Wing is shifting its focus to the ground as the search for a missing 1942 Piper Cub with two men aboard enters its third day in southeast Alabama near the Georgia state line.
By combining CAP cell phone forensics with witness accounts of the vintage plane’s flight, searchers are concentrating on a 1-square-mile area in Henry County along the Chattahoochee River about 2 miles south of the Walter F. George Dam, said Maj. Harvey Yarborough, who served as CAP’s incident commander for the search Thursday.
“It’s a very micro-focused search at this point,” he said. “It’s going to be a beautiful day; we should have great search weather.”
He described the targeted terrain as open fields interspersed with pine thickets.
The vintage Piper J3C-65, a drab military observation aircraft, was reported missing Tuesday after failing to return to Headland, Alabama, after a leisure flight to Eufaula, Alabama, about 40 miles away. The pilot and his passenger took off in the two-seater at 10 a.m. and had been expected back at 2 p.m. The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center asked the Alabama Wing to participate in the search after local authorities requested assistance.
Maj. Justin Ogden, a CAP cell phone expert, helped narrow the search area Thursday to a 40-square-mile area by analyzing cellular signals from the plane. Those signals ceased about 11 a.m. Central time, Ogden said.
Four ground teams – two each from the Alabama and Georgia wings – will be searching today, as well as three CAP planes from Alabama and two from Georgia, Yarborough said.
The ground teams have “a priority track they’re going to walk, and they’re going to knock door-to-door” in search of witnesses who haven’t yet come forward, he said.
“The pilot appeared to be flying over the river,” Yarborough said. “They ground teams will be looking for a possible place he could have landed if he had trouble.”
He said the pilot never indicated any problems before his and his co-pilot’s cellphones went silent.
CAP ground team members are highly trained, Yarborough said. They train for a year before participating in actual missions, focusing not only on search techniques and detection and interpretation of visual clues but also on investigative interviewing of witnesses.
Maj. David Hester, the Alabama Wing’s assistant director of communications, began serving as CAP incident commander for the mission today.
As of Thursday, the Alabama Wing had made 11 flights in search of the Piper Cub and the two men. In addition, about 25 CAP members have been involved in the mission at that time.
UPDATE 9/19/2014 3:03 P.M.
The missing pilots have been identified as MAJ (R) David M. Marlow and CW4 (R) Steven A. Haase.
UPDATE 9/19/2014 11:12 A.M.
The search area has been expanded. Still no sign of the missing plane.
UPDATE 9/18/2014 12:03 PM
Divers were delayed this morning because of a broken sonar cable. They're waiting on a replacement cable from Georgia. They're also concerned about hydrilla.
Sheriff Maddox said a dive earlier today in the area where they thought the plane might be turned out to be just trees. The family says they are relieved.
UPDATE - 9:50 A.M. - 9/18/14
From a source close to the pilot's family:
Authorities have noted a hit on sonar at Lake Eufaula at the spot where an oil slick was located early on Wednesday. More investigation is planned, and divers may be sent in to search for the missing plan.
Investigators say the sonar hit is 45 feet down, forcing a dive team to wait until Thursday morning to continue the search.
UPDATE 4:31 P.M.
Officials say the size, weight, composition and color of the plane could make it extremely hard to find on land or in water.
If the plane had it crashed in the trees, authorities say it would not leave a large enough clearing to be seen from above. They also say it didn't have enough oil in the tank to leave a slick in water.
UPDATE - 2:26 P.M.
Report: There have been two calls from residents on Lake Eufaula, both saying they heard what they believed to be a small plane engine sputtering. The search is now moving to the area on Lake Eufaula near White Oak.
UPDATE 10:54 A.M.
Four boats are searching the water near the dam at Eufaula after an oil slick was spotted there.
UPDATE - 10 a.m.
More details have been released about a missing airplane in Henry County. The aircraft is a two-seat, I-4 Piper Cub model.
It is a Green aircraft Marked with a C and a 69 in white. Authorities are asking for anyone who sees debris or unusual sightings to contact police.
The airplane left Headland Airport between 10-10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, en route to Eufaula. Airport officials report the plane had enough fuel for two hours.
Two people were reportedly in the plane. Their identities are not being released at this time.
The pilot was supposed to pick up kids from school, but did not show up. They were reported missing to the Henry County Sheriff's Department around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
The search began on Tuesday night, but was halted due to darkness, before resuming on Wednesday morning.
The plane was last seen between Headland and the Chattahoochee river. It was believed to be flying northeast towards Eufaula.
Airport officials report the plane does not have a black box in the cockpit. There are no hydraulics, no transponder to send back altitude, speed, or other information.
There is no electrical system. The plane was built in the 1930s.
Sea Tow is doing sight scans. Multiple agencies are assisting in the search.
HENRY COUNTY, AL - Authorities in Henry County are searching for a missing airplane. Police report the plane took off from the Headland Airport on Tuesday, bound for Eufaula, but never arrived.
- Sources:
http://www.wtvy.com
http://www.myfoxal.com
http://www.dothaneagle.com
Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Enforcement Division Facebook page
http://www.wsfa.com
File photo of the missing plane.
(Source: Family)
Search helicopters fuel up for the search
Command center at the Abbeville Airport 
Command center at the Abbeville Airport
We've learned the two men are retired Army pilots. One is a Dothan resident, and the other is from New Brockton.
The search for the two men and the plane in southeast Alabama continued Friday. It's the third day of searching following the plane's disappearance in what is believed to have been a crash somewhere near Henry County.
For much of the day Thursday, helicopters refueled one-by-one at the command post located at the Abbeville Municipal Airport. They then took back off in search of the missing green, 2-seater Piper Cub and its passengers.
Henry County Sheriff Will Maddox says the plane took off from the Headland Airport sometime between 10 and 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. The plane, carrying 2-hours worth of fuel, never reached its destination in Eufaula.
Thursday it was confirmed an image located with sonar in Lake Eufaula was found not to be the aircraft. This news brought a sigh of relief to the family and friends.
"This gives them a little spur of hope that this was not the plane that was submerged in the water so, we are still looking in the water we are still trying to everything we know to try to find this airplane," Maddox said.
Doug Brown has known the two men for 12 years and has spent the past two days with family members at command headquarters.
"They were two very experienced season aviators in both rotary wing and fixed wing, several thousands of hours between the two of them, they were just out on a pleasure flight," Brown said.
Sheriff Maddox says the search is being conducted based off information from the last cell contact with the plane, which was in Henry County. The older Piper Cub does not have many of the modern electronics of a newer plane and its green color makes it especially difficult to see from a search standpoint.
Multiple law enforcement agencies including the Henry, Houston and Dale county sheriff's departments, Alabama State Troopers, the Alabama Regional Incident Support Unit and the Civil Air Patrol are assisting by both land and air. Even Lake Eufaula and the Chattahoochee River are being searched, the latter by officials with the Georgia Dept. of Natural Resource.
The search began after a missing person's report was filed around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The pilot failed to pick up his son at school.
With many factors posing a challenge to this search, the family friends and law enforcement are asking for the public's help.
"Maybe they saw something and they didn't think about it at the time and it coming back to them please give the sheriffs a call and we will check it out," Maddox said.
Anyone in the public who notices any type of plane debris, oil spills, or other clues should contact 911 immediately.
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