Day William L MINICOUPE N853WD
20 December 2015 · Middle River, Maryland, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 20 December 2015 at about 16:37 local time, a Day William L MINICOUPE registered N853WD was involved in an accident near Middle River, Maryland, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 16:37
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Middle River, Maryland, United States
- Nearest airport
- Martin State (MTN)
- Coordinates
- 39.3236, -76.4117
- Aircraft
- Day William L MINICOUPE
- Registration
- N853WD
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2013
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Middle River → Middle River
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- GAA16CA088
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's incorrect installation of the rudder horn and failure to properly inspect the installation, which led to a loss of directional control during takeoff.
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 reported that during the takeoff roll the airplane veered to the left. As the airplane neared the left edge of the runway, the pilot rotated the airplane in an attempt to be come airborne, but the airplane aerodynamically stalled three feet above the runway and then impacted the runway nose first. The pilot reported that he performed a post-accident inspection of the airplane with the assistance of another pilot, and he discovered that he installed the rudder control horn upside down. The improper installation reversed the rudder control input. When right rudder input was needed during takeoff to overcome the airplane's left turning tendency precipitated by the engine and propeller, pushing on the right rudder pedal made the airplane turn left. The pilot recommended that he verify proper control connections after maintenance.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Day William L MINICOUPE accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Aug 2014 | Day William L MINICOUPE | Baltimore, Maryland, United States | Day William L | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Feb 2015 | American AA-1 | Fort Meade, Maryland, United States | Cline Thomas Lytton | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 2015 | Israel 1125 WESTWIND ASTRA | Baltimore, Maryland, United States | Mountain Air Services LLC | No injuries | - |
| 19 Sep 2015 | Cessna 150M | Mount Airy, Maryland, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Feb 2015 | Cessna 208 | Baltimore, Maryland, United States | Mountain Air Cargo Inc | No injuries | - |
| 22 Nov 2015 | Mooney M20 | Fort Meade, Maryland, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Nov 2015 | Cessna 172R | Westminster, Maryland, United States | Empire Aviation and Leasing LLC | No injuries | - |