NTSB Factual Report

On September 15, 2003, at 1515 eastern daylight time a Great Lakes 2T-1A-2, N22TE, registered to and operated by Trailing Edge Corp, collided with a tree and subsequently the ground while landing at a private airstrip in Seymour, Tennessee. The flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot was not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated in Morristown, Tennessee, on September 15, 2003, at 1500.

The airplane was enroute to Lawrenceville, Georgia, when the pilot decided to land at a private airstrip in Seymour, Tennessee. While in radio contact with a person on the ground, the pilot circled the airstrip. According to the pilot she made one practice pattern and a low pass. The pilot stated she "set up in the pattern again with the intention of landing to the right of center". According to the pilot the left half of the runway had been repaired, leaving a dirt surface. The pilot judged that the dirt surface "might have caused a differential problem". The pilot stated that during the approach to land, the airplane drifted to the right of the runway and collided with a tree. The airplane fell to the ground and the wheel of the airplane lodged into a dirt embankment and nosed over.

Examination of the airplane revealed the vertical stabilizer and the upper wings were damaged. The right landing gear collapsed. The pilot stated there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance during the final approach to land which resulted in an inflight collision with a tree.