Aviate RAPTOR N74TK

Summary

On 23 May 2008 at about 15:33 local time, a Aviate RAPTOR registered N74TK, operated by Gottschalk James A, was involved in an accident near Bealeton, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 May 2008 at 15:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Bealeton, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

38.5636, -77.7494

Aircraft

Aviate RAPTOR

Registration

N74TK

Engines

1

Operator

Gottschalk James A

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Warrenton → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA08LA105

1 person died.

An in-flight loss of control for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After takeoff the pilot performed turns in both directions before continuing in a southeast direction. Global Positioning System data recovered from the accident aircraft revealed that while flying on nearly a constant heading, the airplane decelerated 36 miles-per-hour in a 6 second period. One witness heard a sputtering sound from the engine and several observed the aircraft descending steeply before it collided with trees. Another witness thought she saw a partially deployed parachute trailing from the steeply descending aircraft, but examination of the wreckage revealed the on-board ballistic parachute deployed on tree contact, and not prior to the initial upset. A snap hook utilized to secure the nose wires to the attach point of the nose hinge was not attached at either end, and was not located; however, this did not appear to be related to the accident for neither the crossbar nor the hinge displayed compression damage consistent with the snap hook separating in flight. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.