Vickers SPITFIRE MARK XVIII N41702

Summary

On 19 May 1994 at about 23:45 local time, a Vickers SPITFIRE MARK XVIII registered N41702, operated by Breit, Best, Richmand, Bosch,, was involved in an accident near Great Falls, Montana, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 May 1994 at 23:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Great Falls, Montana, United States

Coordinates

47.5301, -111.2592

Aircraft

Vickers SPITFIRE MARK XVIII

Registration

N41702

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Breit, Best, Richmand, Bosch,

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Billings → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA94LA122

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL WHILE IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). FACTORS INCLUDE THE PILOT'S POOR INFLIGHT DECISION TO ATTEMPT AN IMC CLIMB IN AN AIRCRAFT NOT CERTIFIED FOR INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) OPERATION, AND HIS OVERCONFIDENCE IN THE AIRCRAFT'S IMC CAPABILITIES. OTHER FACTORS INCLUDE LOW CLOUDS ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE MANEUVERING IN AN AREA WHERE THE CLOUDS HAD LOWERED TO SOME OF THE RIDGES, THE PILOT OF THE SPITFIRE BECAME SEPARATED FROM THE ACCOMPANYING AIRCRAFT. AT THE POINT OF SEPARATION, THE PILOT OF THE ACCOMPANYING AIRCRAFT EXECUTED A CLIMB THROUGH INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), TO VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) ABOVE. AFTER DISCUSSING THEIR REJOIN OPTIONS, THE SPITFIRE PILOT ELECTED TO ATTEMPT AN IMC CLIMB TO REJOIN THE OTHER AIRCRAFT ABOVE THE CLOUDS. DURING HIS CLIMB IN THE WORLD WAR II VINTAGE FIGHTER, WHICH WAS NOT CERTIFICATED FOR INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) OPERATION, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND DESCENDED INTO THE TERRAIN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.