Gideon Wittman Tailwind W8 accident near Manvel, TX
On May 22, 2001, a Gideon Wittman Tailwind W8 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Manvel, TX. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 22, 2001
- Place
- Manvel, TX
- Aircraft
- Gideon Wittman Tailwind W8 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 29.479°N, 95.350°W
- NTSB ID
- 20010601X01049
Official records · FTW01LA125
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On May 22, 2001, at 1800 central daylight time, a Gideon Wittman Tailwind W8 experimental, amateur-built airplane, N3GJ, was destroyed following a loss of control during takeoff from Wolfe Airpark Airport, Manvel, Texas. The flight instructor and the private pilot receiving instruction, who was the owner of the airplane, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The local flight had originated from the Wolfe Airpark Airport at an undetermined time. According to friends of the pilots, the flight was an instructional flight for the owner, focusing on the operation of tail wheel equipped airplanes. According to witnesses, the airplane was executing touch-and-go landings on runway 02. The airplane landed, accelerated for takeoff, and lifted off the ground approximately 600-700 feet from the departure end of the 2,190-foot grass runway. The airplane attained a height approximately 20 feet agl and "immediately the right wing dropped slightly, and corrected back to level." Subsequently, "the right wing dropped to about a 45-degree angle, stopped slightly, and then continued to drop to a full 90 degree down position." The airplane's right wing contacted the ground and the airplane began to cartwheel. The airplane came to rest 40 feet past the departure end of runway 02, in a near 90-degree nose down attitude, against a tree. The airplane was consumed by fire. Both pilots sustained multiple injuries, including burns to 90% of their bodies. On May 24, 2001,
Probable cause
the flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a touch-and-go landing, for an undetermined reason.
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Browse: Texas
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
