| Crash location | 32.329445°N, 82.635000°W |
| Nearest city | Soperton, GA
32.377118°N, 82.592355°W 4.1 miles away |
| Tail number | N8566E |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 06 Jan 2005 |
| Aircraft type | Champion 7FC |
| Additional details: | None |
On January 6, 2005, at 1630 eastern standard time, a Champion 7FC tailwheel conversion, N8566E, registered to and operated by a private owner, collided with trees during takeoff roll at Cauley Airstrip (private) in Soperton, Georgia. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditioned prevailed. The private pilot reported no injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident on January 6, 2005.
The pilot stated he applied full throttle and initiated a takeoff roll. The pilot stated that after the tailwheel raised off the ground, the airplane yawed and veered to the left, and the right wing dipped. As the pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane, the left wingtip struck trees along the left edge of the runway. The airplane then spun around the left, and the right wing root and the propeller spinner struck the trees.
Examination of the airplane revealed the left wingtip was damaged, the right wing spar was damaged, and the engine mount was bent. The pilot stated there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane. The pilot reported he had not received tailwheel instruction from a certificated flight instructor, and he did not have a tailwheel endorsement. He stated he had accumulated about 0.4 hours in the airplane. Cauley Airstrip is approximately 1800 feet long and 150 feet wide.
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during takeoff roll, which resulted in an on-ground collision with trees. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in a tailwheel airplane.