Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Westport Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Westport, New York 12993
Monday, July 26, 2004 16:50 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot had approximately 900 hours of total flight experience, and performed aerobatics often. He had been performing aerobatics throughout the day. During the aerobatic routines, the engine noise would cease during a dive, and then return during the recovery. The pilot had completed about 10 minutes of an approximate 15-minute aerobatic routine. The first 10 minutes seemed normal. However, the airplane then performed an unusual maneuver, never seen before, and descended in a spiraling nose down attitude. It did not appear that the pilot attempted to recover from the dive, or jettison the canopy. Witnesses reported that there was no engine noise during the last maneuver. Examination of the wreckage revealed fuel in the fuel tank. There was no forward travel at the accident site, or rotational signatures on the propeller. The pilot's autopsy report revealed that he had severe coronary artery disease, and may have suffered a momentary loss of consciousness, but blood at the scene was consistent with heart action continuing during impact.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's loss of aircraft control while maneuvering, due to incapacitation, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/26/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1650 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Westport |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 12993 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 440930N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0732558W |
| Event Location Airport | Westport Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | N25 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 300 |
| Airport Elevation | 276 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1654 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 50 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BTV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 335 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 22 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.13 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 18034 |
| NTSB Notification Source | EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 26 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1800 |
| 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 | Albany, NY |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N45KY |
| NTSB Number | NYC04LA178 |
| 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 | Garrett |
| Aircraft Model | Stephens Akro |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 45 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 17 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 478 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Dynavia Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Wilmington |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19808 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Jaroslav V Svoboda |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Montreal |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | CA |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | N25 |
| Departure City | Westport |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1630 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | N25 |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 3 2005 10:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |