# Accident 19981114031609A: Amtr WICHAWK, Pine Island, NY, November 14, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 14, 1998, 09:10 local time - Place: Pine Island, NY - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Practice Training Manuevers - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.2900° N, 74.4898° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.2900&lon=-74.4898&mi=10 - Aircraft: N30HR, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N30HR-2013-08-08) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Horner-Ryan WICHAWK (registry code 0565577, https://openairdocs.org/model/horner-ryan-wichawk) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR WICHAWK - Reported engine: LYC O360* - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Pilot flight hours: 430 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC99LA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA025) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981114031609A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT CRASHED INTO AN ONION FIELD UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES (.19)ON NOVEMBER 14, 1998, ABOUT 0910 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A HOMEBUILT WICHAWK, N30HR, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT STRUCK THE GROUND NEAR PINE ISLAND, NEW YORK. THE TWO CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOTS WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY, ABOUT 0900. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE HAD RECENTLY BEEN SOLD BY ONE OF THE PILOTS TO THE OTHER PILOT. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO CHECK OUT THE NEW OWNER IN THE AIRPLANE. ACCORDING TO ONE WITNESS: "...I LOOKED UP AT THE AIRPLANE AND HEARD THE MOTOR STOP AND THEN START AGAIN THEN STOP AND START AGAIN AND THEN STOP - THE AIRPLANE THEN NOSE DIVED AT ABOUT AT 60 DEDGREE ANGLE AND CRASHED IN THE BLACK DIRT..." ANOTHER WITNESS STATED: "...I WAS WATCHING THE PLANE FLY ACROSS THE FIELD. I HEARD THE ENGINE CUT OUT AND THE PLANE SUDDENLY NOSE DIVED AND SLOWLY CIRCLED. I RAN AROUND TO THE FRONT OF HOUSE AND THE PLANE HIT THE FIELD..." ON-SITE EXAMINATION WAS CONDUCTED BY AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA). HE REP ORTED THA THE AIRPLANE HAD IMPACTED IN AN OPEN FIELD OF SOFT DIRT. THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF FUEL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE ENGINE WAS BURIED IN THE GROUND WITH THE BACK OF THE ENGINE FLUSH WITH THE GROUND. ONE MAGNETO AND THE CARBURETOR HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE. THE METAL PROPELLER REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE WITH ONE PROPELLER BLADE BENT BACK, AND THE OTHER BLADE BENT SLIGHTLY FORWARD. ONE PROPELLER BLADE PREVENTED FULL ROATION; HOWEVER, PARTIAL ROTATION WITH NO BINDING WAS OBSERVED. ALL FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES WERE INTACT AND THERE WERE NO BREAKS AT ATTACH POINTS. THE WINGS REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRPLANE AND WING ATTACH STRUTS HAD NOT PULLED OUT OF THE WINGS. THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR NEEDLE WAS STUCK AT THE 90 MILES PER HOUR POSITION. ACCORDING TO FAA RECORDS, BOTH PILOTS HAD LESS THE 500 HOURS TOTAL TIME. (.4) THE TWO PLACE, EXPERIMENTAL, HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE DEPARTED ON A LOCAL FLIGHT TO FAMILIARIZE THE NEW OWNER WITH THE AIRPLANE. BOTH PILOTS HELD PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATES. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) OCCUPIED THE LEFT SEAT AND WAS THE FORMER OWNER. THE SECOND PILOT (NEW OWNER) OCCUPIED THE RIGHT SEA T. WITNESSES HEARD THE ENGINE STOP MOMENTARILY, AND RESUME RUNNING. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO IMPACT IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE IN AN OPEN FIELD. NO EVIDENCE OF A PRE-EXISTING FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE OR ENGINE. TOXICOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS REVEALED NO DRUGS IN THE PIC. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC99LA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA025), Nov 14, 1998: Horner-Ryan Wichawk (N30HR), Pine Island, NY, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain control while maneuvering. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.