Crawford Widebody Long EZ accident near Martha's Vineyard, MA
On August 3, 2002, a Crawford Widebody Long EZ (airplane) was involved in an accident near Martha's Vineyard, MA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 3, 2002
- Place
- Martha's Vineyard, MA
- Aircraft
- Crawford Widebody Long EZ · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 42.231°N, 71.530°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020815X01398
Official records · IAD02TA081
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On August 3, 2002, about 1230 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Widebody Long EZ, N3R, was substantially damaged during collision with the Atlantic Ocean while maneuvering near Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The certificated commercial pilot/owner suffered a medical emergency, and died prior to the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the public use flight that originated at the Barnstable Municipal Airport (HYA), Hyannis, Massachusetts. A visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed for the local research flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to a scientist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the pilot's colleague, the purpose of the flight was to gather data for a NOAA research project. The airplane was built, outfitted, and instrumented by the pilot to measure the exchange of heat, moisture, and momentum between the ocean and the atmosphere. The data was gathered and stored in a "lunchbox" personal computer mounted behind the pilot's station. The pilot was to duplicate a flight he performed the previous day. On August 2, 2002, the pilot departed Barnstable Airport, and flew to a point in the open ocean where several research buoys were deployed. He then flew repeated low-level passes about 30 feet above the ocean surface over the buoys. Some legs were north-south "saw-tooth" flight patterns over the same buoys. The saw-tooth patterns required several slow ascents and descents between 30 feet and 750 feet above the surface. The pilot then flew four east-west legs, and returned to Barnstable Airport. Du
Probable cause
Pilot incapacitation from a massive subarachnoid hemorrhage (stroke.)
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Browse: Massachusetts
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
