ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 74430
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Friday 21 May 2010 |
| Time: | 15:00 |
| Type: |  Rutan Long-EZ |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N91HR |
| MSN: | 172 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming 0-235 SERIES |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Wakefield Municipal Airport - KAKQ, VA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Altoona, PA (AOO) |
| Suffolk, VA (SFQ) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Acquaintances of the pilot indicated that his intended destination was an airport located about 200 miles to the south of his departure airport. A witness reported that he observed the airplane approach, and after completing the first legs of a traffic pattern, it over flew the turn onto the final approach path. The airplane then executed a left 360 degree turn about 700 feet above ground level. After the turn, the airplane was again past the extended runway centerline. The airplane continued the left turn for several seconds, and then followed with a sharp turn to the right. The airplane impacted terrain about 250 feet prior to the runway threshold; ground scars indicated that it struck in a right wing down attitude.
At the time of the accident, the wind velocity was about 4 knots and the sky was clear of clouds. The majority of the witness observations were corroborated by global positioning system (GPS) data that was recovered from a unit in the airplane. Examination of the GPS data, the airplane, and the engine did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical failures. No definitive reasons for the pilot's decision to land at the accident airport, or his difficulties in aligning with the runway, were discovered. The pilot's most recent Federal Aviation Administration third-class medical certificate expired about 22 months prior to the accident. Shortly thereafter, the FAA withdrew the pilot's eligibility for medical certification, and his eligibility for medical certification was never re-established. Neurological evaluations, family member observations, and autopsy findings were consistent with the pilot experiencing progressive cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to properly align the airplane with the final approach path to the runway and his subsequent loss of control during his attempts to correct the flight path. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s progressive cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-May-2010 17:23 | RobertMB | Added |
| 21-May-2010 23:58 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Source] |
| 21-May-2010 23:58 | RobertMB | Updated [Source] |
| 22-May-2010 10:32 | Geno | Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Source] |
| 23-May-2010 03:38 | RobertMB | Updated [Operator, Source] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 26-Nov-2017 17:16 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation