Ladd NIEUPORT 11 UNREG

Summary

On 14 August 2000 at about 16:30 local time, a Ladd NIEUPORT 11 registered UNREG was involved in an accident near White Pine, Montana, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 August 2000 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

White Pine, Montana, United States

Coordinates

47.7603, -115.6297

Aircraft

Ladd NIEUPORT 11

Registration

UNREG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA00LA165

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff after becoming airborne. Contributing factors were his lack of overall recent flight experience and the stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was initiating his first flight in the homebuilt Nieuport 11 aircraft and had reported unresolved directional control problems during previous taxi tests. He reported that during the takeoff from the 3,500-foot turf field, he had difficulty maintaining directional control due to the tailskid dragging. He was able to get the tail off the ground but then 'stalled' the airplane veering off to the right, impacting terrain and ultimately nosing over. He subsequently reported that there was no mechanical malfunction with the aircraft; and that an inexperienced pilot should not have been operating the aircraft on its first flight. Records maintained by the FAA showed the pilot obtaining a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land rating on July 21, 1964. His most current medical (third class) was issued May 4, 1966. The FAA showed no record of flight time at the pilot's most recent medical, and the pilot reported that his 'license was not kept current' and that he had misplaced his flight log book and did not know what his total flight experience was.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.