- Date
- May 19, 2003, 20:20 local (May 20, 2003, 00:20 UTC)
- Place
- Midland, VA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1911KVirginia Wright Model B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20030520017469A
- Case key
- 57021
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.
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 experimental airplane was undergoing a series of taxi tests on a 200-foot-wide turf runway. While taxiing, the airplane unexpectedly became airborne. The pilot was not sure if he could land the airplane in the space remaining, and elected to maneuver for a landing attempt. The airplane entered a series of slide slips which the pilot was able to correct from; however, on final approach, the airplane entered a slide slip to the left. The pilot was unable to recover and the airplane impacted trees. The airplane had not been flown previous to the accident.
Factual narrative
On May 19, 2003, about 2020 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Wright Model B, N1911K, was substantially damaged when it struck trees while maneuvering at Horse Feathers Airport (53VA), Midland, Virginia. The certificated airline transport pilot sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, the airplane was an exact replica of the original Wright Model B, produced by the Wright Brothers. The airplane had been difficult to control during taxi, and the airplane was undergoing a series of taxi tests on a 200-foot-wide turf runway. While taxiing, the airplane unexpectedly became airborne. The pilot was not sure if he could land the airplane in the space remaining, and elected maneuver for a landing attempt. The airplane entered a series of slide slips which the pilot was able to correct from; however, on final approach, the airplane entered a slide slip to the left. The pilot was unable to recover and the airplane impacted trees.
The airplane had not flown previous to the accident.
Winds reported at airport 8 nautical miles to the southwest, about the time of the accident, were calm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1911K
- Reported as
- Virginia Wright Model B
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- VA3
- Airframe hours
- 0
- Engine
- Wright Vert Four, 35 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Virginia Aviation & Machine Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 4, 2002 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- 53VA · Midland, VA
- Airport
- VA53 · Horse Feathers Airport, runway 4, 2,600 × 200 ft
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
- 64
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- April 25, 2003
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 35,400 total · 24,000 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- CJR, 8 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.