Rutter Herbert G LONG EZ accident near Wakefield, VA
On May 21, 2010, a Rutter Herbert G LONG EZ (airplane) was involved in an accident near Wakefield, VA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 21, 2010
- Place
- Wakefield, VA
- Aircraft
- Rutter Herbert G LONG EZ · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 36.987°N, 77.001°W
- NTSB ID
- 20100521X04342
Official records · ERA10LA277
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 21, 2010, about 1500 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), an experimental amateur-built Long EZ, N91HR, was substantially damaged during an attempted landing at Wakefield Municipal Airport (AKQ), Wakefield, Virginia. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured. The flight was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight originated from Altoona-Blair County Airport (AOO), Altoona, Pennsylvania with a reported intended destination of Suffolk Executive Airport (SFQ), Suffolk, Virginia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. A pilot who landed at AKQ about 10 minutes earlier, was fueling his airplane when he witnessed the accident. He estimated that the wind was from the east, blowing "directly across" the runway, at a speed of about 8 knots. He saw the accident airplane approach from the northwest, and make a mid-field left turn to track along the runway to the northeast, at traffic pattern altitude. When the airplane crossed the threshold of runway 2, it flew a "teardrop" pattern by first turning to the right, and then making a continuous turn to the left to become established on the final leg for runway 20. The witness stated that "the winds appeared to cause the plane to overshoot its turn to final," northwest of the runway centerline. When the airplane was about 3/4 of a mile from the threshold of runway 20, and about 700 feet above ground level (agl), the airplane began a left 360 degree turn, apparently in an attempt to conduct another approach. After
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to properly align the airplane with the final approach path to the runway and his subsequent loss of control during his attempts to correct the flight path. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s progressive cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s disease.
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
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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.
