Hall Maxair Drifter accident near Gloucester, VA
On June 12, 2005, a Hall Maxair Drifter (airplane) was involved in an accident near Gloucester, VA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 12, 2005
- Place
- Gloucester, VA
- Aircraft
- Hall Maxair Drifter · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 37.402°N, 76.518°W
- NTSB ID
- 20050617X00799
NTSB summary
On June 12, 2005, at 1930 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built Maxair Drifter, N9238V, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain in Gloucester, Virginia. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to witnesses, the pilot left a picnic he was attending because he "needed to take pictures." The pilot stated he was "going to get his airplane," and shortly after the witnesses saw the airplane pass overhead at an altitude of about 200 feet. The airplane made several passes, "buzzing" the crowd, and then witnesses observed the tail section of the airplane "wobble, and then break off." The airplane then pitched nose down and impacted the ground. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane landed inverted in a nose low attitude. The empennage was separated from the fuselage at the tail boom attachment point; however, control cables remained attached. Both wings remained attached to the fuselage; however, cable supports were separated at the fuselage attach points. Corrosion was observed on the tail boom attachment points, as well as numerous other critical areas of the aircraft. According to the FAA inspector, the airplane was also equipped with floats, and was often operated in a salt-water environment. Examination of the pilot's logbook revealed the most recent entry was for a flight on May 26, 2004. At that time, he had accumulated approximately 1,000 h
Probable cause
The in-flight separation of the empennage, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent impact with the ground.
More accidents in VA
- Boeing 757-200, Sep 11, 2001
- Beech B99, Sep 23, 1985
- Beech 65, Sep 10, 1995
- Beech 200, Oct 24, 2004
- Piper PA-31-310, Nov 14, 1982
Browse: Virginia
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
