Gideon WITTMAN TAILWIND W8 N3GJ

Summary

On 22 May 2001 at about 23:00 local time, a Gideon WITTMAN TAILWIND W8 registered N3GJ was involved in an accident near Manvel, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 May 2001 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Manvel, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Wolfe Airpark (3T2)

Coordinates

29.4794, -95.3505

Aircraft

Gideon WITTMAN TAILWIND W8

Registration

N3GJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Manvel → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW01LA125

2 people died.

the flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a touch-and-go landing, for an undetermined reason.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and private pilot receiving instruction were executing touch-and-go landings on the 2,190-foot grass runway. The airplane landed, accelerated for takeoff, and lifted off the ground approximately 600-700 feet from the departure end of the runway. A witness reported that the airplane attained a height approximately 20 feet agl and "immediately the right wing dropped slightly, and corrected back to level." Subsequently, "the right wing dropped to about a 45-degree angle, stopped slightly, and then continued to drop to a full 90 degree down position." The airplane's right wing contacted the ground, the airplane began to cartwheel and came to rest against a tree. The airplane was consumed by a post crash fire. The airframe and engine were examined and no anomalies were found that would preclude normal operation of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.