# Accident 20200502006089A: Dayton-Wright Co DH-4, Bowling Green, KY, May 2, 2020

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 2, 2020, 07:00 local time
- Place: Bowling Green, KY
- Airport: Bowling Green-Warren County Rg
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.9644° N, 86.4197° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.9644&lon=-86.4197&mi=10
- Aircraft: N32517, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N32517-2024-12-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Dayton-Wright DH-4 (registry code 2801921, https://openairdocs.org/model/dayton-wright-dh-4) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Liberty V-12 (registry code 38590, https://openairdocs.org/engine/liberty-v-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DAYTON-WRIGHT CO DH-4
- Reported engine: LIBERTY V-12
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA20CA168](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA168) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200502006089A

## Narrative

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

THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN PERFORMING ITS FIRST FLIGHT SINCE BEING RE-BUILT.  THE PILOT TOOK-OFF FROM THE GRASS NEXT TO THE RUNWAY. AS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED-OUT, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT HE NEEDED TO GRADUALLY INCREASE RIGHT AILERON DEFLECTION IN ORDER TO KEEP THE WINGS LEVEL AND THE AIRCRAFT FLYING STRAIGHT.  BY THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON LEFT DOWNWIND, THE PILOT NEEDED BOTH HANDS ON THE STICK IN ORDER TO APPLY FULL RIGHT AILERON AND STOP THE AIRCRAFT FROM TURNING LEFT.  THE PILOT ASSESSED THE SITUATION AND DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE, RUDDER, AND ELEVATOR, WERE PERFORMING AS EXPECTED, BUT THE NEED TO KEEP FULL RIGHT AILERON DEFLECTION MADE IT NECESSARY TO LAND IMMEDIATELY.  HE CHOSE TO TOUCHDOWN NEAR THE SOUTHWEST EDGE OF THE AIRPORT PROPERTY, ON THE GRASS, SOUTHEAST OF RUNWAY 03.  ALTHOUGH THE LEFT WING HIT THE GROUND FIRST, THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT CARTWHEEL AND THE PILOT ESCAPED UNINJURED.  THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

## 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 ERA20CA168](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA168), May 2, 2020: Dayton-Wright DH-4 (N32517), Bowling Green, KY, substantial damage. Probable cause: A primary control (aileron) system anomaly that progressively worsened during a test flight that resulted in a loss of control. The reason for the anomaly was not determined due to impact damage.

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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