Skip to content

Atlas / NTSB / ERA20CA128

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event ERA20CA128

2020-03-07 Senoia, Georgia, United States Airport · 64GA Minor 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to see and avoid trees while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.

Factual narrative

According to local law enforcement, the pilot reported that, while performing aerial stunts for a local children's party. The airplane struck a tree and he lost control of the airplane. He was able to maneuver the airplane across the street before striking another tree and impacting terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings and the empennage. A Federal Aviation Administrator inspector who examined the airplane after the accident confirmed flight control continuity and reported no anomalies with the flight controls.The pilot did not submit an NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report or any other statement describing the circumstances surrounding the accident. The pilot reported that, while performing aerial stunts for a local children's party, the airplane struck a tree, and he then lost control of the airplane. He maneuvered the airplane over a street, and it struck another tree and then impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and the empennage. A Federal Aviation Administrator inspector who examined the airplane after the accident confirmed flight control continuity and reported no anomalies with the flight controls. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • C Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Effect on operation - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_ERA20CA128.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.