Dayton A Babcock STORM N516VB

Summary

On 2 January 2015 at about 22:30 local time, a Dayton A Babcock STORM registered N516VB, operated by Lake Hoppers Air Adventures, Inc., was involved in an accident near Eustis, Florida, 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.

Date

2 January 2015 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Eustis, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Mid Florida Air Service (X55)

Coordinates

28.8433, -81.6300

Aircraft

Dayton A Babcock STORM

Registration

N516VB

Year built

2014

Engines

1

Operator

Lake Hoppers Air Adventures, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Eustis → Eustis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15CA118

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate spacing from the preceding aircraft during a formation landing, resulting in an inadvertent "prop wash" encounter, loss of control, and impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

At the conclusion of a local formation flight, the flight of weight-shift-control aircraft returned to their home airport and entered the traffic pattern. During the landing flare, the accident pilot encountered the "prop wash" of the preceding aircraft, which resulted in his aircraft entering an uncommanded right bank. The pilot attempted to counteract the turn by applying a left banking control input, but the left main landing gear and nose landing gear impacted the ground, and further aggravated the turn. The nose landing gear then collapsed and dug into the soft turf runway, and the aircraft overturned to the right, where it came to rest on its right side. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airframe had been substantially damaged during the accident. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures or the aircraft that would have precluded normal operation, and when asked how the accident might have been prevented, the pilot stated, "…I could have performed (possibly) a go-around."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.