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20010901025509A

Accident · No damage
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FAA accident report · Dehavilland DH-94 MOTH MINOR · Farmington, PA · September 1, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

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Date
September 1, 2001 · 17:00 local
Place
Farmington, PA
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N9403
N9403Registered now · Dehavilland DH-94 MOTH MINORS/N 9403Airframe modelDehavilland DH-94 MOTH MINOREngine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On September 1, 2001, at approximately 1700E, the Dehavilland DH-94, N9403, landed in a field (4) miles southwest of nemacolin woodlands airport/Farmington, PA (its destination). The aircraft had recently been sold and was being transferred to the new owner. There was no temporary registration or airworthiness certificate onboard the aircraft or in the pilot's/passengers possession. The aircraft was found in a field with both the main landing gear and tail wheel broken. The aircraft's right gear failed first, and the aircraft then slid left wing forward for approximately 300 feet. The propeller was missing 22 inches of one of its blades. The propeller was completely covered with black, which would make it impossible to visually detect any signs of dry rot or water damage. The propeller's wood was very dry and brittle, and some dark soft spots were visible around the exposed areas of blade separation. The engine had two broken attach points on the left side and a broken engine mount on the right side. The flight controls and engine had continuity. There was at least 1/2 fuel in each wing tank. All three main landing gear (standard gear) were broken to the left. The right top wing skin (wooden) was broken from the main gear tire/wheel that came up through it. The right wing had heavy damage to the ribs, skin, and the aft wing spar. The left bottom wing and aft fuselage could not be inspected as the aircraft was resting on them. The maintenance records, registration, and airworthiness certificate was requested and will be reviewed at a later date. The maintenance records contained no information on the propeller. The airframe log was signed off as (airworthy for flight operations). The mechanic was deceased and could not be interviewed. The aircraft has a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental exhibition category.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2001, AT APPROXIMATELY 1700E, THE DEHAVILLAND DH-94, N9403, LANDED IN A FIELD (4) MILES SOUTHWEST OF NEMACOLIN WOODLANDS AIRPORT/FARMINGTON, PA (ITS DESTINATION). THE AIRCRAFT HAD RECENTLY BEEN SOLD AND WAS BEING TRANSFERRED TO THE NEW OWNER. THERE WAS NO TEMPORARY REGISTRATION OR AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT OR IN THE PILOT'S/PASSENGERS POSSESSION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND IN A FIELD WITH BOTH THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND TAIL WHEEL BROKEN. THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT GEAR FAILED FIRST, AND THE AIRCRAFT THEN SLID LEFT WING FORWARD FOR APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET. THE PROPELLER WAS MISSING 22 INCHES OF ONE OF ITS BLADES. THE PROPELLER WAS COMPLETELY COVERED WITH BLACK, WHICH WOULD MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO VISUALLY DETECT ANY SIGNS OF DRY ROT OR WATER DAMAGE. THE PROPELLER'S WOOD WAS VERY DRY AND BRITTLE, AND SOME DARK SOFT SPOTS WERE VISIBLE AROUND THE EXPOSED AREAS OF BLADE SEPARATION. THE ENGINE HAD TWO BROKEN ATTACH POINTS ON THE LEFT SIDE AND A BROKEN ENGINE MOUNT ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND ENGINE HAD CONTINUITY. THERE WAS AT LEAST 1/2 FUEL IN EACH WING TANK. ALL THREE MAIN LANDING GEAR (STANDARD GEAR) WERE BROKEN TO THE LEFT. THE RIGHT TOP WING SKIN (WOODEN) WAS BROKEN FROM THE MAIN GEAR TIRE/WHEEL THAT CAME UP THROUGH IT. THE RIGHT WING HAD HEAVY DAMAGE TO THE RIBS, SKIN, AND THE AFT WING SPAR. THE LEFT BOTTOM WING AND AFT FUSELAGE COULD NOT BE INSPECTED AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS RESTING ON THEM. THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS, REGISTRATION, AND AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE WAS REQUESTED AND WILL BE REVIEWED AT A LATER DATE. THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS CONTAINED NO INFORMATION ON THE PROPELLER. THE AIRFRAME LOG WAS SIGNED OFF AS (AIRWORTHY FOR FLIGHT OPERATIONS). THE MECHANIC WAS DECEASED AND COULD NOT BE INTERVIEWED. THE AIRCRAFT HAS A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL EXHIBITION CATEGORY.