- Date
- August 26, 2000, 11:10 local (15:10 UTC)
- Place
- Valley City, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8470XFreund Wittman W10
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000826010349A
- Case key
- 50086
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 failure to maintain aircraft control during the takeoff. A factor in this accident was the crosswind condition.
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 airplane was departing from Runway 18, a 2,700 foot long, 50 foot wide, turf runway. According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll, the airplane began 'swerving' due to wind gusts from the southeast. He attempted to 'straighten' the airplane; however, the right wing contacted the ground and separated. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions of the airframe or engine, nor did the pilot report any. Winds reported at an airport 12 miles north-northeast of the accident site were from 210 degrees at 8 knots.
Factual narrative
On August 26, 2000, about 1110 Eastern Daylight Time, a homebuilt Wittman W10, N8470X, was substantially damaged during takeoff from the Valley City Flying Club Airport, Valley City, Ohio. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The airplane was departing from Runway 18, a 2,700 foot long, 50 foot wide, turf runway.
According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll, the airplane began "swerving" due to wind gusts from the southeast. The pilot attempted to "straighten" the airplane; however, the right wing contacted the ground and separated.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions of the airframe or engine, nor did the pilot report any.
Winds reported at an airport 12 miles north-northeast of the accident site, at 1051, were from 210 degrees at 8 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8470X
- Reported as
- Freund Wittman W10 (WITTMAN W1)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1178
- Airframe hours
- 3
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Friedrich W. Freund
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 78OH
- Airport
- 78OH · Valley City Flying Club, runway 18, 2,700 × 50 ft, 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
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 250 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CLE, 12 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.