| Crash location | 35.288889°N, 78.179723°W |
| Nearest city | Grantham, NC
35.297108°N, 78.163605°W 1.1 miles away |
| Tail number | N112PE |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 13 May 2004 |
| Aircraft type | Loehle Ent. 2/3 Earlybird Jenny |
| Additional details: | None |
On May 13, 2004, at 1910 eastern daylight time, an experimental 2/3 scale Earlybird Jenny airplane, N112PE, registered to and operated by private owners, collided with trees during a go-around at a private airstrip in Grantham, North Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot had minor injuries. The flight originated at Cox-Grantham Airfield, Grantham, North Carolina, at 1830 on May 13, 2004.
The pilot planned to land at Shane Field, a private airstrip in Grantham, North Carolina. The pilot stated that the airplane touched down a little more than one-quarter of the runway. The airplane bounced and the pilot performed a go around. As the pilot pushed the throttles forward, he noted that the airplane felt "bogged down" and did not develop full power. The pilot stated that he banked left to avoid a collision with trees at the end of the runway, however the airplane collided with trees on the left side of the runway. The airplane came to rest approximately 50 yards beyond the tree line.
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the engine was broken from the mounts, the left wing was damaged, the bottom of the right wing was crushed and the right wing guy wires were broken. An engine examination revealed that sediment was in the carburetor bowls, however a functional engine run was accomplished.
The maximum gross weight of the 2/3 Earlybird Jenny airplane is 800 pounds. The pilot's medical certificate shows that he weighs 304 pounds. According to the pilot, he had accumulated a total of 121 hours. He had less than 10 hours of flight time in the 2/3 Earlybird Jenny airplane, all of which had been accumulated within the previous 90 days.
The runway orientation at Shane Field is 350 magnetic and with trees and power lines on both ends. The grass/turf runway is 1500 feet long and 40 feet wide.
The weather information at Seymour Johnson AFB (GSB), approximately 10 miles east of Cox-Grantham field, at 1955 were winds from 160 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 7 statute miles, few clouds at 4000 feet (above ground level), temperature 25 degrees Celsius, dew point 18 degrees Celsius.
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.