# Incident 20150917016739I: Montpelier, VT, September 17, 2015

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 17, 2015, 16:00 local time
- Place: Montpelier, VT
- Airport: Knapp State
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.2664° N, 72.5715° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Montpelier, VT, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.2664&lon=-72.5715&mi=10
- Aircraft: NONE (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported engine: ROTAX 582
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 200 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150917016739I

## Narrative

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

ON 09/17/2015, WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT AN AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED AT KNAPP STATE AIRPORT (MPV) IN BARRE/MONTPELIER, VT.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT AND HE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WITH NUMEROUS BUT NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS A 67 YEAR OLD HOLDER OF A PRIVATE PILOT LICENSE^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BUT HE HAS NOT HAD A MEDICAL SINCE 01/05/2004. HE PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT 10 YEARS AGO AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER APPROXIMATELY 8 YEARS AGO. HE HAS BEEN RECEIVING CANCER TREATMENT SO HE HAS NOT FLOWN IN THE PAST 8 YEARS AND SAYS HE HAS NO INTENTION TO FLY.  HE IS STILL BEING TREATED FOR CANCER BUT IS DOING BETTER AND HAD WORKED ON THE AIRCRAFT ALL SUMMER, TRYING TO GET IT READY TO SELL. HE ALMOST HAD THE AIRCRAFT RESTORED TO SALEABLE CONDITION BUT WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE TAIL WHEEL. HE HAD ADJUSTED THE TAIL WHEEL CHAINS AND ELEVATOR AND WAS ATTEMPTING A HIGH SPEED TAXI TO TRY IT OUT. (HE CLAIMS THAT HE HAD NO INTENTION TO FLY.)  DURING THE HIGH SPEED TAXI TEST, HE THINKS HE MIGHT HAVE HAD TOO MUCH POWER AND A WIND GUST SUDDENLY LIFTED HIM OFF THE GROUND AND HE CLIMBED VERY FAST. HE THEN LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED. HE SPRAINED BOTH KNEES, BOTH ANKLES, SUSTAINED NUMEROUS BRUISES AND CUTS. THE AIRCRAFT IS A TOTAL LOSS WITH EXTENSIVE WING AND FORWARD FUSELAGE DAMAGE.

FOLLOWING THE CRASH THERE WERE TWO A&P/IA MECHANICS ON SITE WHO BOTH VERIFIED THAT THE AILERONS WERE RIGGED BACKWARDS. I ASKED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IF IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT THE AILERONS WERE RIGGED BACKWARDS. HE DIDN?T THINK THAT WAS POSSIBLE BUT CONCEDED THAT  ?THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN RIGGED JUST RIGHT?.

THE AIRCRAFT IS A 2 SEAT, GOLDEN CIRCLE, T-BIRD WITH A ROTAX 582 ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT HAS NEVER BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE FAA. HE CLAIMS IT WAS REGISTERED 10 YEARS AGO WITH ONE OF THE ULTRALIGHT GROUPS BUT NO RECORD CAN BE FOUND. BACK THEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS MARKETED AS A 2 PLACE, ULTRALIGHT TRAINER. THIS AIRCRAFT DOES NOT MEET THE FAA?S PRESENT REQUIREMENTS TO BE CLASSIFIED AS AN ULTRALIGHT.

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.

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