Girard RV-4 accident near Homer, LA
On November 25, 2002, a Girard RV-4 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Homer, LA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 25, 2002
- Place
- Homer, LA
- Aircraft
- Girard RV-4 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 32.796°N, 93.007°W
- NTSB ID
- 20021127X05537
NTSB summary
On November 25, 2002, approximately 0730 central standard time, a Girard RV-4 single-engine experimental airplane, N5246, was destroyed after an in-flight collision with trees shortly after takeoff from Homer Municipal Airport, Homer, Louisiana. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. The non-instrument rated private pilot and his passenger sustained fatal injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from the Homer Municipal Airport, about ten minutes prior to the accident and was destined for the pilot's private airstrip near Beaux Bridge, Louisiana. Witnesses close to the accident site reported that "very thick fog had rolled in about 6:30." The aircraft departed from runway 30. After takeoff the airplane made a right turn paralleling the departure runway. The witnesses heard the engine "sputter", then "race up in rpm" followed by the sound of the impact. The wreckage was located north of the departure end of runway 30 in a marsh area that surrounded the airport. The initial impact was with trees approximately 30 feet in height. The airplane came to rest nose down in approximately 3 feet of water. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident site reported that the airplane was destroyed from the cabin area forward. At 0721, the weather reporting facility located at the Shreveport Downtown Airport (DTN), Shreveport, Louisiana, (located 47 miles southwest of the accident site) issued a
Probable cause
The pilot's VFR flight into IMC conditions and his failure to obtain/maintain altitude/clearance from trees during the initial climb after takeoff. Contributing factors were fog and trees.
More accidents in LA
- Sikorsky S-76C, Jan 4, 2009
- Cessna 411A, May 8, 1986
- Piper PA 31T, Dec 28, 2019
- Beech E90, Jun 24, 2005
- Bell 206L-3, May 10, 1994
Browse: Louisiana
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
