Varga 2150A accident near Columbus, WI
On June 25, 2006, a Varga 2150A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Columbus, WI. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 25, 2006
- Place
- Columbus, WI
- Aircraft
- Varga 2150A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 43.317°N, 89.933°W
- NTSB ID
- 20060627X00839
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 25, 2006, at 0952 central daylight time, a Varga 2150A, N8267J, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with trees and terrain, and a post-impact fire near Columbus, Wisconsin. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight departed a private airstrip in Fall River, Wisconsin, about 0940. The intended destination was Capitol Airport (02C), Brookfield, Wisconsin. The pilot attended a fly-in breakfast at Gilbert Field Airport (94C), Rio, Wisconsin; arriving there about 0800, according to a volunteer providing radio advisories. The volunteer reported that after breakfast the accident pilot could not get the engine started due to a low battery. The pilot told the volunteer that the engine had started without problems earlier and he didn't know what the problem was. The volunteer hand propped the airplane. The engine subsequently started and the airplane departed. When asked to describe how the engine sounded after start-up and during takeoff, he stated "beautiful." A second witness at the fly-in reported that he saw the accident airplane take off. He stated that the airplane got airborne, "but didn't start a normal climb like the other aircraft which had taken off. Instead, it stayed low, 10 - 20 [feet] above the ground until near the east end of the runway . . . where it pitched up in a step climb to about 400 [feet] where it nosed over and accelerated." He noted that the airplane subsequently departed
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the trees during the attempted low altitude pass along the river. Contributing factors were the intentional low altitude flight maneuver, the pilot's improper decision to attempt that maneuver, and his impairment due to the effects of marijuana.
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Browse: Wisconsin
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
