- Date
- April 1, 1990, 13:22 local (18:22 UTC)
- Place
- Westfield, MA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N29WHWalter Hudson Mustang 2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900401007389A
- Case key
- 36509
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
An encounter with wake turbulence from a preceding airplane. A factor related to the accident was the pilot's decision to takeoff close behind the preceeding airplane.
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 started a takeoff roll approximately 20 seconds after a preceding airplane. As the airplane broke ground, it was observed to roll 90 degrees to the right followed by a 180 degree roll to the left and then roll wings level. The pilot said he did not think he would clear the trees ahead of the airplane and pulled the power off and landed. The airplane struck trees during the ground roll.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29WH
- Reported as
- Walter Hudson Mustang 2
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- WHA-3
- Airframe hours
- 322
- Engine
- Lycoming O320-DIA, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gary Hoover
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 15, 1989 · 0 hours before
- Airport
- BAF · Barnes Municipal, runway 33, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,000 total · 30 in this make and model · 200 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BAF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N29WH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.