Wootton, John Aero Canard accident near Statesville, NC
On December 12, 2007, a Wootton, John Aero Canard (airplane) was involved in an accident near Statesville, NC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 12, 2007
- Place
- Statesville, NC
- Aircraft
- Wootton, John Aero Canard · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 35.765°N, 80.954°W
- NTSB ID
- 20071227X01998
NTSB summary
On December 12, 2007, about 1000 eastern standard time, an amateur-built Aero Canard, N199JW, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees during the initial climb after takeoff from the Statesville Regional Airport (SVH), Statesville, North Carolina. The certificated private pilot was killed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local personal flight that was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot owned the airplane, and was departing from runway 28, a 7,006-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, witnesses reported that they observed the canopy open, as the airplane lifted off the ground. As the airplane climbed to about 100 feet above the runway, a fabric cover exited the cockpit, and went through the wooden propeller assembly located aft of the fuselage. The airplane continued to climb slowly, and subsequently impacted trees and the ground. Both wings separated during the impact sequence, and the cockpit was compromised. During an examination of the wreckage, the FAA inspector noted that a shredded fabric cover, and 1-foot sections of each propeller blade tip were located near the runway 3,000-foot marker. All other portions of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site, which was located just beyond the airport property line. Examination of the main canopy latch mechanism and a secondary "safety" latch did not reveal evidence of any preimpact failures; however, the position of the latches at the time of the takeoff
Probable cause
An inadvertent opening of the canopy during takeoff.
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.
