- Date
- July 26, 1992, 20:35 local (Jul 27, 1992, 02:35 UTC)
- Place
- Terry, MT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- UNREGSmith Vari EZE
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 41596
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot in command's exceeding liftoff speed during a taxi test.
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 non-certificated pilot was taxiing westbound on runway 25 when the unregistered homebuilt vari eze became airborne. The aircraft was observed to reach an altitude of approximately 20-30 feet AGL as it rolled counter clockwise and impacted the ground in a nose low inverted attitude. Family members who witnessed the occurrence reported that the pilot did not intend to fly the aircraft, but only taxi along the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Smith Vari EZE
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Engine
- Unknown UNKNOWN, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Smith, Benny J.
- Registered owner
- Smith, Benny J.
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- 8U6 · Terry, MT
- Destination
- 8U6
- Airport
- 8U6 · Terry, runway 25, 4,300 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Front
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLS, 31 nm away