- Date
- July 4, 1997, 13:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Montauk, NY
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N280DMMartin Velocity RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970704047129A
- Case key
- 39393
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 directional control and his inadequate compensation for wind conditions.
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 flew a 15 minute local flight with a passenger in his homebuilt airplane, and returned to land at the departure airport. He entered a left downwind for runway 24, lowered the landing gear, and extended the speed brakes when he turned final. About 50 feet above the ground when he began to 'round out for the flair,' he encountered a gust of wind from the southeast. The pilot applied left 'stick and rudder,' full power, and raised the landing gear. When the pilot began to retract the speed brakes, he observed trees ahead of the airplane. The airplane continued to drift right and struck trees. Winds at an airport 18 miles to the southwest were from 230 degrees at 15, gusting to 25 knots.
Factual narrative
On July 4, 1997, about 1315 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Martin Velocity RG, N280DM, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees while on final approach to the Montauk Airport, Montauk, New York. The certificated private pilot and passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated at Montauk, about 1300. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that he had departed on a local flight and experienced "light turbulence. He then returned to the departure airport and entered a left downwind for runway 24. He lowered the landing gear, and when he turned final he extended the speed brakes. About 50 feet above the ground he began to "round out for the flair," when he encountered a gust of wind from the southeast. The pilot stated that he applied left "stick and rudder," full power, and raised the landing gear. When the pilot began to retract the speed brakes, he observed trees ahead of the airplane.
In a statement provided to a police officer, the pilot/owner said that he had been on final approach to runway 24. He further stated:
"...all of a sudden I lost control of the plane and couldn't regain control. The plane went into a cartwheel like spin and we crashed into the trees on the north side of the runway..."
A certified flight instructor (CFI), waiting to takeoff in another airplane, observed the accident. In a written statement he said:
"...It crossed in front of us at tree top level or a little lower. At one point...over the runway, it started to drift to the right. It looked like it caught a wind gust, because it tilted to the right, clipped a tree branch, rolled over and then it went into the woods..."
The winds reported at an airport 18 miles southwest of Montauk, were from 230 degrees at 15, gusting to 25 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N280DM
- Reported as
- Martin Velocity RG (VELOCITY R)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- DMO-280
- Airframe hours
- 108
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Daniel A. Martin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 7, 1997 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- MPT
- Airport
- MPT · Montauk, runway 24, 3,480 × 85 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 358 total · 71 in this make and model · 234 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HTO, 18 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.