- Date
- July 19, 2005, 10:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Pittsville, MD
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N707TRRatliff Hummel Bird
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-07
- FAA report
- 20050719018989A
- Case key
- 62003
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
A loss of control for undetermined reasons, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent into terrain.
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 pilot had been building the accident airplane sporadically for approximately 11 years. The accident flight was the pilot's first flight in the airplane, and he had no record of prior flight experience in the same model as the accident airplane. Prior to departure, the pilot performed several high-speed taxis on a 2,750-foot-long, 105-foot-wide, turf runway. During the departure climb, about 200 feet agl, the airplane slowly rolled right and descended into a field about 2,000 feet beyond the end of the runway. Examination of the airplane confirmed flight control continuity, and did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions with the airframe or engine.
Factual narrative
On July 19, 2005, about 1045 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Hummel Bird, N707TR, was substantially damaged during impact with terrain, while departing Davis Airstrip (6MD8), Pittsville, Maryland. The certificated commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector stated that the pilot had been building the accident airplane "on and off" for approximately 11 years. The accident flight was the pilot's first flight in the airplane. Review of the pilot's logbook revealed that he had accumulated approximately 1,497 total hours of flight experience; all of which were in single engine airplanes. In addition, the pilot flew about 15 hours within the 90 days preceding the accident. There was no record of prior flight experience in a Hummel Bird.
Two witnesses at the airport recorded the accident flight with video cameras. The videos displayed the airplane performing several high-speed taxis on runway 36, a 2,750-foot-long, 105-foot-wide, turf runway. The videos did not capture the liftoff from runway 36, but showed the departure climb. About 200 feet agl, the airplane slowly rolled right and descended into a field. The airplane impacted the field approximately 2,000 feet beyond the departure end of the runway.
The FAA inspector examined the wreckage and confirmed flight control continuity. The inspector did not observe any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions with the airframe or engine.
The reported weather at an airport approximately 8 miles west of the accident site, at 1054, was: wind from 220 degrees at 4 knots; visibility 10 miles; sky clear; temperature 86 degrees F; dew point 79 degrees F; altimeter 29.99 inches Hg.
Toxicological testing was conducted on the pilot at the FAA Toxicology Accident Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The toxicological report for the pilot revealed:
"QUININE detected in Urine
DIPHENHYDRAMINE detected in Urine
DIPHENHYDRAMINE NOT detected in Blood"
Aircraft
- Registration
- N707TR
- Reported as
- Ratliff Hummel Bird
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1
- Airframe hours
- 1
- Engine
- Volkswagen, 37 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas H Ratliff
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 6MD8 · Pittsville, MD
- Airport
- 6MD8 · Davis Airstrip, runway 36, 2,750 × 105 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
- 80
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 1,497 total · 15 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- SBY, 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.