- Date
- October 18, 2003, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pana, IL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N53TWOostdik M-18-X
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Status
- Completed · report June 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20031018032729A
- Case key
- 58200
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's attention was diverted to a person on the ground which resulted in his failure to maintain altitude/clearance with trees . A contributing factor to the accident were trees.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
An experimental amateur-built airplane collided with trees during takeoff from a private airstrip. The pilot was waving to his brother on initial climb out when the airplane made contact with trees and impacted the terrain.
Factual narrative
On October 18, 2003, about 1230 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Oostdik M-18-X, N53TW, collided with trees while taking off to the south on a private airstrip (1,600 foot long, grass) in Pana, Illinois. The private pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight was originating at the time of the accident with an intended destination of Taylorville, Illinois.
The pilot stated he began his takeoff roll and lifted off about 50 miles per hour. The pilot stated that during initial climb he noticed his brother standing by a nearby hangar. The pilot "waved" to his brother, and only remembers hearing tree limbs hitting the airplane before the airplane impacted the terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53TW
- Reported as
- Oostdik M-18-X
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1392
- Engine
- Continental 75, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gerald E. Crosby
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- PVT · Pana, IL
- Destination
- TAZ · Taylorville, IL
- Airport
- PVT · Private field, runway 18, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- September 2, 2003
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 449 total · 449 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC)
- Wind
- 210° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- TAZ, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.