Wings An Things AVID FLYER N430WT

Summary

On 3 August 2016 at about 00:45 local time, a Wings An Things AVID FLYER registered N430WT was involved in an accident near Bluffton, Indiana, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 August 2016 at 00:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Bluffton, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Miller Airport (C40)

Coordinates

40.7167, -85.2500

Aircraft

Wings An Things AVID FLYER

Registration

N430WT

Category

Airplane

Year built

1984

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bluffton → Bluffton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA300

2 people were seriously injured.

The loss of roll control during climb for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot was operating a personal, local flight in the nonregistered, experimental amateur-built airplane with one passenger onboard. The student stated that, while the airplane was climbing through 500 ft above ground level after takeoff, there was an uncommanded left roll. He reported that the airspeed was 60 knots (which is above the stall speed of 40 mph listed in the airplane's specifications). He applied right control input to the control stick, which did not counter the left roll. The airplane entered a left spiral descent, and the pilot pulled back on the control stick and applied right rudder until the airplane impacted terrain. He reported that the airplane's engine was at full throttle during the flight and that it did not experience a loss of engine power. A postaccident examination of the airframe, including the flight controls, revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The investigation could not determine the reason for the loss of roll control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.