NYC95LA144

The pilot and builder of the homebuilt airplane had been conducting takeoffs and landings for about 15 minutes. Witnesses observed the airplane perform a touch-and-go landing on runway 25. During the intial climb from runway 25, the airplane performed a 180 degree turn, and conducted another touch-and-go on runway 7. When the airplane departed runway 7, it pulled up to the right, followed by a hard left turn back toward runway 25. As the airplane approached a 90 degree bank angle, the nose dropped, and the airplane impacted the ground. Examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact failures of the airplane or engine. Investigation revealed that the pilot's first flight in the airplane, 10 months prior to the accident, resulted in a hard landing and a broken wing spar. The next 2 flights, 1 to 2 months prior to the accident, lasted about 30 minutes each. The pilot's total flying experience was estimated to be about 120 hours, of which 1.5 hours were in this make and model. The pilot's only flying during the previous 90 days was in this airplane.

On July 9, 1995, at 1610 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Quickie II, N4372V, was destroyed when it impacted the ground near the Akron-Fulton Airport (AKR), Akron, Ohio. The private pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, for the personal flight that departed AKR, at 1555. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The pilot, and builder of the airplane, had been conducting takeoffs and landings in the traffic pattern for about 15 minutes. A witness near the airport stated:

...I was at...the east end of runway 25. I pulled in to watch a Quickie shoot touch-n-go's. On his last touch and go, he was going west on 25. He touched and pulled up, made a 180, and came back on runway 7. He touched again [on runway 7] and pulled up to his right...He proceeded to make a hard left turn to make it back to runway 25. From a near vertical bank, the plane stalled on final. It fell straight down on the left wing and cartwheeled.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, the airplane impacted the ground, left wing first, about 2,000 feet short of the runway. Examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact failures of the airplane or engine.

In a telephone interview, a friend of the pilot's stated to the FAA Inspector that the pilot's first flight in the airplane was during September, 1994. This flight lasted less then 2 minutes, and resulted in a hard landing and a broken wing spar. The pilot's next flight in the airplane lasted about 25 minutes, and occurred at the end of May, or beginning of June, 1995. A subsequent 30 minute flight occurred, which included 4 takeoffs and landings.

The friend estimated that the pilot had accumulated 120 hours of total flight experience, of which 1.5 hours were in the Quickie II. The friend estimated that the pilot had performed a total of 7 to 8 landings in the Quickie. Also, the pilot's only flying during the previous 90 days was in the Quickie II.