Waters Peter T AVID BANDIT N62PT

Summary

On 11 March 2014 at about 18:08 local time, a Waters Peter T AVID BANDIT registered N62PT, operated by Novodran Igor A, was involved in an accident near Washington, Pennsylvania, 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

11 March 2014 at 18:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Washington, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Washington County Airport (AFJ)

Coordinates

40.1361, -80.2806

Aircraft

Waters Peter T AVID BANDIT

Registration

N62PT

Category

Airplane

Year built

1998

Engines

1

Operator

Novodran Igor A

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Washington → Washington

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14FA153

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of aircraft control in gusty and turbulent wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the experimental, amateur-built airplane had completed three takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern before the accident. One witness stated that, after turning to the final leg of the traffic pattern, the airplane entered an estimated 90-degree left bank and spiraled nose down toward the ground. Another witness reported hearing the airplane and, when she looked up, the airplane was "wobbling" back and forth before it made a descending left turn toward the ground. A review of the weather conditions on the day and time of the accident revealed gusting winds with turbulence mixing to the surface. Postcrash examination of the airplane, engine, and systems revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. The bank and nose-down attitude after the turn are consistent with the pilot failing to maintain airspeed and angle of attack, which led to an aerodynamic stall from which he was unable to recover at low altitude.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.