Harry L. Weber ARION LI accident near Hedgesville, WV
On October 5, 2011, a Harry L. Weber ARION LI (airplane) was involved in an accident near Hedgesville, WV. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- October 5, 2011
- Place
- Hedgesville, WV
- Aircraft
- Harry L. Weber ARION LI · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 39.570°N, 77.968°W
- NTSB ID
- 20111005X02745
Official records · ERA12FA006
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn October 5, 2011, at 1738 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Arion LI, N747HW, was substantially damaged when it impacted a house near Hedgesville, West Virginia. The airplane had departed from the Green Landings Airport (WV22), Hedgesville, West Virginia, just prior to the accident. Day visual metrological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. The personal local flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to several eyewitnesses, the pilot had been assembling the airplane since January 2011. The first flight in the airplane had taken place on October 3, 2011, and the pilot was attempting to acquire the 40 flight hours required in order to fly the airplane to his residence in Danbury, Connecticut. Several witnesses reported that shortly after takeoff, approximately 15 feet above ground level, the airplane pitched up to a 45 to 60 degree nose up attitude and then appeared to have stalled just prior to impacting the house. According to an internet forum entry dated Monday, October 3, 2011, at 3:41 pm, it stated in part "first flight of the lightning N747HW today in West Virginia after 7 months building. Everything went as planned with no abnormal flight characteristics and smooth running engine... This is my second kit. First was a Glasair III and took 7 years to complete. Looking forward to many happy hours of flying. I will fly it to Connecticut after the 40 hours test phase." PERSONNEL INFORMATIONAccording to Feder
Probable cause
An aerodynamic stall at low altitude due to the pilot’s acute cardiac event.
More accidents in WV
- Bell UH-1B, Jun 22, 2022
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Browse: West 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.
