Vickers SPITFIRE N308WK
26 April 2008 · Galveston, Texas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 26 April 2008 at about 19:30 local time, a Vickers SPITFIRE registered N308WK was involved in an accident near Galveston, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Galveston, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Scholes International Airport (KGLS)
- Coordinates
- 29.2701, -94.8552
- Aircraft
- Vickers SPITFIRE
- Registration
- N308WK
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Air Race/Show
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Galveston → Galveston
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DFW08LA118
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The Hurricane pilot's failure to maintain directional control during roll-out. Contributing to the accident were the restricted forward visibility of the tail-wheel equipped Spitfire, the lack of communication to the other aircraft following the Hurricane, and the limited view of the runway by the airboss.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A Hurricane and Spitfire, with several other airplanes, had participated in an aerial demonstration for an airshow. During the landing sequence and with aircraft in trail, the lead pilot radioed, "Everyone is going all the way to the end" [of the runway]. It was also noted that its "normal airshow practice" to land on the same side of the runway from which the takeoff was preformed. The Spitfire pilot expected the Hurricane airplane to exit the runway at the end so after landing, he was only applied light braking. The Spitfire pilot reported that during a 3-point landing in the Spitfire forward visibility is restricted. The Hurricane airplane had drifted to the left side of the runway and ground looped and was attempting to return to the right side of the runway then it was struck by the Spitfire. The pilot of the Hurricane reported that "the right brake failed to respond" The Hurricane was equipped with the original style pneumatic brake system and on April 28, 2008 the brakes on the Hurricane were examined. The examination revealed that the airplane’s brake system was still holding pressure. The airplane was then jacked and both wheels turned freely, the brakes were activated together and then separately; no problem with the brakes were noted.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vickers SPITFIRE | N308WK | - | Substantial |
| Canadian Car & Foundry HURRICANE | N96RW | Texas Aviation Hall of Fame | Substantial |
Other Vickers SPITFIRE accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 May 1994 | Vickers SPITFIRE MARK XVIII | Great Falls, Montana, United States | Breit, Best, Richmand, Bosch, | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jul 2008 | Marshall James J COZY MK IV | Midlothian, Texas, United States | Marshall James J | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Mar 2008 | Robinson R22 BETA | Horseshoe Bay, Texas, United States | Kent Leighton | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Jan 2008 | Micco MAC-145B | Arcola, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2008 | British Aircraft Corp (Bac) JET PROVOST T MK.5A | Bay City, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 2008 | Piper PA-38-112 | Taylor, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jul 2008 | Robinson R22 | Rosharon, Texas, United States | William T. Skinner | No injuries | - |