- Date
- April 30, 1994, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Englewood, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- UNREGAir Creation GTX Trike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 5, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 37538
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
Was the failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall at an altitude insufficient for recovery.
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
The unlicensed pilot was practicing touch and go landings on a deserted road in the unlicensed airplane. He stated that ' the wing folded in on me ' and the airplane crashed. Examination of the airplane revealed that the wing and wing attachment structure was intact. The airplane fuselage appeared to be deformed consistent with a nose low, vertical impact.
Factual narrative
On April 30, 1994, about 1900 eastern daylight time, an unregistered, two-seat Air Creation homebuilt airplane crashed in Englewood, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the unlicensed pilot received serious injuries. The flight originated from a road in Rotunda, Florida, about 1830 the same day.
The pilot's wife stated she observed him take off for a local flight to practice touch-and-go landings. He disappeared from view, and after 2 hours she contacted local authorities who initiated a search. The wreckage and the pilot were located in a wooded area about 0439 May 1, 1994. The pilot was evacuated to a local hospital.
The pilot stated that as he was practicing a landing on a deserted road, the wing folded in on him, and he did not recall anything else. Examination of the airplane by FAA personnel revealed that the wing and the wing attachment structure was intact and it appeared that the airplane had stalled and landed extremely hard, almost straight down. No record of the airplane being registered was found and the pilot stated he did not have a pilots certificate nor medical certificate.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Air Creation GTX Trike
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Engine
- Rotax 503-UL, 52 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Woodworth, Jeffrey D.
- Registered owner
- Woodworth, Jeffrey D.
- Departed
- Rotunda, FL
- Destination
- FL
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 20 total · 10 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SRQ, 20 nm away