Whitty Mustang II accident near Holly Ridge, NC
On October 3, 2003, a Whitty Mustang II (airplane) was involved in an accident near Holly Ridge, NC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- October 3, 2003
- Place
- Holly Ridge, NC
- Aircraft
- Whitty Mustang II · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.481°N, 77.584°W
- NTSB ID
- 20031016X01742
NTSB summary
On October 3, 2003, at 1130 eastern daylight time, a Whitty, Mustang II, N888PW, experimental airplane, registered to and operated by the private pilot, collided with the ground during a go-around at a private airstrip in Holly Ridge, North Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot received fatal injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight departed Topsail Airpark in, Holly Ridge, North Carolina on October 3, 2003 at 1030. According to a witness, this was the first flight of the recently restored experimental airplane. After a brief engine run up, the airplane took off on runway 03. The takeoff appeared normal with a normal climb out. At about 300 feet above ground level, the airplane made a left turn to a wide downwind and climbed to about 800 feet or pattern altitude. After making a turn to base leg, a gradual descent was made and it seemed that he was going to make a landing on runway 03. On his turn to final he overshot the runway and lined up about 50-feet to the right of the runway. He passed over the intersection of runway 03 and 36 at an altitude of about 50 to 100 feet and added power for a go-around. The engine misfired and his increase in altitude was very slow and at the end of the runway, he started a left turn. During the turn, and at an altitude of about 100 to 200 feet, the witness thought the engine stopped. The airplane rolled to the left, nose dropped sharply and the airplane start
Probable cause
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering for a forced landing.
More accidents in NC
- Douglas DC-9-31, Jul 2, 1994
- Beech 1900D, Jan 8, 2003
- Pilatus Aircraft Ltd PC-12/47E, Feb 13, 2022
- Cessna 550, Dec 18, 2025
- Beech D55, Jan 9, 1983
Browse: North Carolina
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
