Aero Vodochody L-39ZO accident near Forest Hill, MD
On August 24, 2003, an Aero Vodochody L-39ZO (airplane) was involved in an accident near Forest Hill, MD. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 24, 2003
- Place
- Forest Hill, MD
- Aircraft
- Aero Vodochody L-39ZO · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.585°N, 76.391°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030909X01491
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 24, 2003, at 1115 eastern daylight time, an Aero Vodochody L-39ZO, N298RD, was destroyed when it impacted a residential area, while maneuvering in the vicinity of the Forest Hill Industrial Airpark (MD31), Forest Hill, Maryland. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from the Martin State Airport (MTN), Baltimore, Maryland. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. Several witnesses, located within 1/4-mile of the accident site, observed the airplane maneuvering in the vicinity of the airpark prior to the accident. One witness stated that the airplane conducted a flyby for an open house at the airpark. After passing over the runway, the airplane ascended and then "dropped out of the sky." A second witness, who was mowing his lawn, observed the airplane as it approached the airpark from the east, "at a typical landing height." As the airplane passed over the witnesses, he recalled the airplane was traveling fast and the landing gear was retracted. The airplane continued towards the airpark and descended below a tree line. The witness thought the airplane was going to crash, when it rose back above the tree line, almost at a takeoff angle. The airplane then seemed to lose velocity, and the nose rose further upward. At the peak of the airplane's accent, about 500-1,000 feet above the ground, it gently rolled over and began to descend towards the ground, with the engine roaring. The airplane continued the nose down descent a
Probable cause
The pilot's in-flight decision to delay application of engine power to account for the engine's slow response to throttle input, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with a residential area. A factor related to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in jet-powered airplanes.
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Browse: Maryland
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
