Wehrlen Glassair II RG accident near Jackson, NJ
On July 20, 2002, a Wehrlen Glassair II RG (airplane) was involved in an accident near Jackson, NJ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 20, 2002
- Place
- Jackson, NJ
- Aircraft
- Wehrlen Glassair II RG · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.052°N, 74.267°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020729X01237
Official records · IAD02FA074
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 20, 2002, about 1345 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Glassair II RG, N79CW, was destroyed when it collided with terrain in Jackson, New Jersey. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. A witness, who was working in his backyard, first noticed the airplane when it was about 400 feet above the tree line. The airplane was "spiraling straight down," and completed three rotations before it impacted the trees. The witness described the rotations as "similar to tricks you would see in an air show." According to the witness, the engine was running at a "steady, normal" speed. A second witness was sitting in her backyard about 300 yards from the accident site. She said that her brother pointed out the airplane to her, and commented that it was "flying kind of low." The airplane then started to "spiral downwards," and looked like it was "doing some tricks." The witnesses said it appeared the pilot had attempted to "pull the plane up," just before it impacted the trees. A Safety Board Air Traffic Control (ATC) Specialist examined radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and identified a target flying in the vicinity of the accident side at the time of the accident. The target was first observed at 1341 at an altitude of 1,700 feet, approaching the Jackson area from the north. For the next 4 minutes, the target continued on a track of 140 degrees and maintained an altitude of 1,600-1,700 feet. T
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin and subsequent impact with terrain.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
