20031019027459A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr KOLBMK3 · Prineville, OR · October 19, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: October 19, 2003 · 11:00 local
Place: Prineville, OR
Airport: Prineville Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: NONE
Reported as: Amtr KOLBMK3
Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX582
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,730 total10 in the last 90 days

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) According to verbal and written statements from the pilot robert wolverton and airport manager eldin nimmo: on 10/19/03 @ 1100, robert d. wolverton (pp cert# 524380395) was attempting a high speed taxi and flight test of a kolb mk iii S/N-065 on runway 28 (east to west) located at the Prineville Airport. Following initial engine run up Mr. Wolverton made radio contact with airport operations (eldin nimmo) and stated he was attempting a "high speed taxi", Mr. Wolverton gained forward speed and launched approximately 5' AGL followed immediately by unstable low tail and hard landing. Shortly after the first hard landing Mr. Wolverton attempted a test flight, after gaining forward speed the plane took to flight approximately 20' AGL followed immediately by unstable low tail and pilot commanded engine shut down resulting in a crash. The third launch, approximately 5' AGL, immediately followed, taking the aircraft approximately 20' off the south side of runway 28.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ACCORDING TO VERBAL AND WRITTEN STATEMENTS FROM THE PILOT ROBERT WOLVERTON AND AIRPORT MANAGER ELDIN NIMMO: ON 10/19/03 @ 1100, ROBERT D. WOLVERTON (PP CERT# 524380395) WAS ATTEMPTING A HIGH SPEED TAXI AND FLIGHT TEST OF A KOLB MK III S/N-065 ON RUNWAY 28 (EAST TO WEST) LOCATED AT THE PRINEVILLE AIRPORT. FOLLOWING INITIAL ENGINE RUN UP MR. WOLVERTON MADE RADIO CONTACT WITH AIRPORT OPERATIONS (ELDIN NIMMO) AND STATED HE WAS ATTEMPTING A "HIGH SPEED TAXI", MR. WOLVERTON GAINED FORWARD SPEED AND LAUNCHED APPROXIMATELY 5' AGL FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY UNSTABLE LOW TAIL AND HARD LANDING. SHORTLY AFTER THE FIRST HARD LANDING MR. WOLVERTON ATTEMPTED A TEST FLIGHT, AFTER GAINING FORWARD SPEED THE PLANE TOOK TO FLIGHT APPROXIMATELY 20' AGL FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY UNSTABLE LOW TAIL AND PILOT COMMANDED ENGINE SHUT DOWN RESULTING IN A CRASH. THE THIRD LAUNCH, APPROXIMATELY 5' AGL, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED, TAKING THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 20' OFF THE SOUTH SIDE OF RUNWAY 28.