Saliba LONG EZ N555L

Summary

On 2 June 1999 at about 13:37 local time, a Saliba LONG EZ registered N555L was involved in an accident near Friendly, Maryland, 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

2 June 1999 at 13:37

Classification

Accident

Location

Friendly, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Potomac Airfield (VKX)

Coordinates

38.7294, -77.0007

Aircraft

Saliba LONG EZ

Registration

N555L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Clinton → MacOn

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC99LA134

1 person died.

The separation of the airplane canopy for undetermined reasons, the diminished controllability of the airplane, and the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed resulting in a stall/mush into trees short of the runway.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Another pilot in the airport traffic pattern saw the accident airplane, and requested the accident pilot's intentions. There was no response, but the accident airplane appeared to enter a right base for the active runway. The airplane overshot the runway, then turned back, and entered a left base for the same runway. It overshot the final approach course, but corrected with a steep turn, and continued making 'S' turns during the final approach. The airplane then pitched up and mushed into trees about 200 yards short of the runway. The airplane's canopy was found about 2 miles from the accident scene, and the latching mechanism exhibited no sign of overstress, or of being latched. Another owner of a Long EZ stated that the airplane would have been difficult to control without a canopy.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.