Reitz MOHAWK 1 N109WR

Summary

On 14 July 2001 at about 18:45 local time, a Reitz MOHAWK 1 registered N109WR was involved in an accident near Camdenton, Missouri, 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

14 July 2001 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Camdenton, Missouri, United States

Nearest airport

Camdenton Memorial (H21)

Coordinates

38.0010, -92.7397

Aircraft

Reitz MOHAWK 1

Registration

N109WR

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Camdenton → Camdenton

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI01LA212

1 person died.

The pilot not performing an aborted takeoff and the inadvertent stall he encountered on his inadvertent initial climb. Factors were his inadvertent lift-off, the reported inadequate rudder control, his inadvertent flight with known deficiencies, and the transmission wire.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The experimental amateur built airplane was destroyed by impact with a transmission wire, with terrain, and by fire following an in-flight loss of control during climbout. An interview with a witness who had test flown the accident aircraft that morning, noted that, "On the final flight [the witness] found it controllable, but very sensitive to elevator inputs and almost unresponsive to rudder input during flight. [The witness] said he only flew it around the traffic pattern once that morning. ... [The witness] told [the owner] it was OK for taxi, but not safe to fly, and [the owner] departed to taxi it up and down the runway. After some taxiing on the runway, [the witness] observed the aircraft lift-off from runway 15, yaw noticeably to the left, recover and continue climbing out. About 1/2 mile away, he observed it begin a turn to the left, pitch up, stall, and begin a spin to the right. He said it did about 3/4 of a full right spin, disappeared behind trees off the end of the runway and exploded, apparently on impact with the ground." The wind was 140 degrees at 3 knots. The Sheriff's stated, "The craft was located in a field South of [road] 5-120 near Show Me Electrics power lines. ... It appears that the craft struck the ground finally resting on it's top. ... That prior to the craft making contact with the ground it appears that the leading edge of the left wing struck the 'Center Phase' power line approx nine feet from the wing tip."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.