Garrett Stephens Akro accident near Westport, NY
On July 26, 2004, a Garrett Stephens Akro (airplane) was involved in an accident near Westport, NY. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- July 26, 2004
- Place
- Westport, NY
- Aircraft
- Garrett Stephens Akro · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 44.158°N, 73.433°W
- NTSB ID
- 20040728X01087
NTSB summary
On July 26, 2004, about 1650 eastern daylight time, an amateur built Stephens Akro, N45KY, was substantially damaged during collision with terrain, while maneuvering near Westport, New York. The foreign certificated pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed Westport Airport (N25), Westport, New York, about 1630. No flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, witnesses observed the accident airplane performing aerobatics over N25 throughout the day. One witness stated, "...I would hear the engine turn off, the plane would appear to go into a nose dive and at the last possible second I would hear the engine come back on..." The airplane had completed about 10 minutes of an approximate 15-minute aerobatic routine; and the first 10 minutes seemed normal. The airplane then performed an unusual maneuver, never seen before, and descended in a spiraling nose down attitude with no recovery. The witnesses further stated that the pilot performed aerobatics often. The airplane impacted a field approximately 1/4-mile northwest of the airport. The airplane came to rest in a flat upright attitude, and the engine was imbedded in mud at an approximate 45-degree angle. The FAA inspector observed fuel in the fuel tank. He did not observe any evidence of forward travel at the accident site, or rotational signatures on the propeller. The witnesses reported a lack of engine noise during the spiral. Due to the impact damage to the engine,
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of aircraft control while maneuvering, due to incapacitation, which resulted in a collision 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.
