Wonder Michael S HARMON ROCKET accident near Porter, NY
On June 11, 2023, a Wonder Michael S HARMON ROCKET (airplane) was involved in an accident near Porter, NY. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 11, 2023
- Place
- Porter, NY
- Aircraft
- Wonder Michael S HARMON ROCKET · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 43.265°N, 78.966°W
- NTSB ID
- 20230611192351
Official records · ERA23FA266
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On June 11, 2023, at 1506 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Harmon Rocket, N85TP, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Porter, New York. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to witnesses, the pilot arrived at the Windsor Airport (63NY) Youngstown, New York, several hours before the accident to observe the skydiver jump zone activities, where he was also a pilot. According to the jump zone owner, the pilot arrived about 1045 that morning and “hung out” for the day, which he often did. About 1445, surveillance video showed the pilot conducting a preflight inspection and starting the engine before the airplane taxied out of camera view. The pilot taxied into position and took off from runway 18. A witness reported that the pilot’s routine was to take off to the south and perform a climbing 180° turn back to the north before flying a high-speed low pass along the runway. The pilot would then initiate a climb and perform a barrel roll before turning to the south and heading home. The witness reported that on the accident flight, the pilot took off to the south, made the 180° turn, then flew the low pass at 10 to 15 ft above the ground. Following the low pass, the airplane started to climb before banking and contacting the trees. The witness stated the airplane reached an altitude about 10 to 15 ft above the tree line before it “dipped” into the trees. He stated it was like the airplane went inverted into the trees as if it e
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while initiating a low-altitude aerobatic maneuver, which resulted in impact with trees and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s high-risk behavior.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
