Michael Wilson MURPHY SPIRIT N193MW

Summary

On 26 April 2015 at about 15:00 local time, a Michael Wilson MURPHY SPIRIT registered N193MW was involved in an accident near Livingston, 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.

Date

26 April 2015 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Livingston, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Livingston Muni (00R)

Coordinates

30.6858, -95.0181

Aircraft

Michael Wilson MURPHY SPIRIT

Registration

N193MW

Category

Airplane

Year built

1989

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Livingston → Livingston

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN15LA252

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which increased the induced drag and led to the engine having insufficient power to overcome the drag and climb the airplane and resulted in a forced landing and the subsequent collapse of the main landing gear.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that, during a high-speed taxi test, the amateur-built tailwheel-equipped airplane unexpectedly became airborne. He chose to continue flight rather than risk an overrun while attempting to stop on the remaining runway. When the airplane crossed trees while in the traffic pattern, it experienced a "loss of lift," and the pilot subsequently executed a landing in a field parallel to the runway. During the landing, the main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane then skidded to a stop. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane and that the airplane and engine performed as expected. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot allowed the airspeed to decrease, which increased the induced drag and led to the engine not having sufficient power to overcome the drag and climb the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.