# Accident 20040527017189A: Amtr AVIDHAULER, Fitchburg, MA, May 27, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 27, 2004, 14:20 local time
- Place: Fitchburg, MA
- Airport: Fitchburg Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.5539° N, 71.7583° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5539&lon=-71.7583&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5139W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5139W-2005-05-05) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mosher Richard AVID HEAVY HAULER (registry code 05620RG, https://openairdocs.org/model/mosher-richard-avid-heavy-hauler) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Bombardier ROTAX (ALL) (registry code 09050, https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR AVIDHAULER
- Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX583
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 800 total, 70 in this make and model, 35 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC04LA133](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC04LA133) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040527017189A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) MR. BRAMICH STATED THAT HE ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT AT 12:30 PM ON THE AFTERNOON OF 5-27-2004. HE COMPLETED A PREFLIGHT ON AIRCRAFT N5139W, HIS EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE. THIS CHECK INCLUDED FLIGHT CONTROLS, FUEL LEVEL AND CAPS, AND VISUAL CHECK OF ELEVATOR LINKAGE. AT 1:00 PM HE THEN FLEW THE AIRCRAFT AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTICED. A SECOND FLIGHT WAS MADE AFTER 2:00 PM WITH PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA O^ ON BOARD. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 14 AT FITCHBURG (FIT) AND CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN MR. BRAMICH NOTICED THAT HE WAS ONLY CLIMBING AT 100 FEET PER MINUTE AT 45 MPH. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLIMBING BETWEEN 800-900 FEET PER MINUTE AT THE FULL THROTTLE SETTING. MR. BRAMICH STATED THAT HE LOWERED THE NOSE USING THE ELEVATOR TO INCREASE THE AIRSPEED TO 64MPH. WHEN HE THEN TRIED TO RAISE THE NOSE TO CONTINUE THE CLIMB THE CONTROL STICK HAD NO FEEL TO IT. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO RAISE THE NOSE TO CONTINUE THE CLIMB. HE TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT USING HIS RUDDER TO AVOID A BUILDING. MR. BRAMICH CONTINUED TO WORK THE ELEVATORS WITH NO RESULTS. AT 50-75 FEET AILERONS WERE USED TO TURN FROM ROADWAY TRAFFIC AND THE A/C CRASHED INTO A CHAIN LINK FENCE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ALONGSIDE THE UNPAVED SHOULDER OF CRAWFORD ST/AIRPORT ROAD AT A HEADING OF 150 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE CRASH AND FIRE THAT CONSUMED MOST OF THE COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS ON THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE HELPED OUT OF THE WRECKAGE BY PEOPLE AT THE SCENE AND WERE LIFE FLIGHTED TO U-MASS HOSPITAL AT WORCESTER MA.

## 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 NYC04LA133](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC04LA133), May 27, 2004: Mosher Avid Heavy Hauler (N5139W), Fitchburg, MA, destroyed. Probable cause: The malfunction of the elevator control system, resulting in a forced landing.

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.