Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Topsail Airpark Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Holly Ridge, North Carolina 28443
Friday, October 3, 2003 11:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to a witness, this was the first flight of the recently restored experimental airplane. After a brief engine run up, the airplane took off on runway 03. The takeoff appeared normal with a normal climb out. At about 300 feet above ground level, the airplane made a left turn to a wide downwind and climbed to about 800 feet or pattern altitude. After making a turn to base leg, a gradual descent was made and it seemed that he was going to make a landing on runway 03. On his turn to final he overshot the runway and lined up about 50-feet to the right of the runway. He passed over the intersection of runway 03 and 36 at an altitude of about 50 to 100 feet and added power for a go-around. The engine misfired and his increase in altitude was very slow and at the end of the runway, he started a left turn. During the turn, and at an altitude of about 100 to 200 feet, the witness thought the engine stopped. The airplane rolled to the left, nose dropped sharply and the airplane started to spin to the left. After one turn the airplane dropped out of sight behind some trees. Examination of the crash site found the airplane about 1/4 of a mile from the end of runway 36, 45-degrees left of the extended centerline in heavy trees and vegetation. Wreckage debris was scattered on a 290-degree magnetic heading. No airframe malfunctions were noted during the examination and there was nothing noted during the examination of the engine that would have prevented it from operating properly.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering for a forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/3/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1130 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Holly Ridge |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28443 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | Yes |
| Event Location Latitude | 342852N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0773503W |
| Event Location Airport | Topsail Airpark |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 01NC |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.25 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 20 |
| Airport Elevation | 65 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1053 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 60 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ILM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 33 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.21 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -143 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17867 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Com Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 3 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1215 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 7 2005 10:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Greensboro FSDO-17 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N888PW |
| NTSB Number | ATL04LA003 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Whitty |
| Aircraft Model | Mustang II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1699 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1600 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5.5 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Phillip James Whitty |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO Box 268 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Hampstead |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 28443 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 01NC |
| Departure City | Topsail Airpark |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1100 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency descent/landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 25 2005 3:43PM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 36 |
| Runway Length | 2000 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |