Plane Crash Reports 2003

2003 Plane Crash Report Result

Title: AMATEUR BUILT BULL SE5-A, SINGLE-ENGINE TAIL WHEEL EQUIPPED BIPL

Report Date: 12/18

Plane Crash Problem: On December 13, 2003, at 1255 central standard time, an amateur built Bull SE5-A, single-engine tail wheel equipped biplane, N42LB, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain following a loss of control during takeoff from the Texas Air Museum Airport (XS63), near Rio Hondo, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was seriously injured. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the Texas Air Museum of Rio Hondo. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who responded to the accident site, the pilot departed runway 18 (a 1,800-foot long by 20-foot wide asphalt runway) to participate in an aerial reenactment with another aircraft. Several people witnessed the accident and provided the Safety Board with written statements. One witness observed the airplane as it took off. He said the airplane appeared to stall, and the pilot was having difficulty maintaining control. The airplane appeared to be, "mushing with the wings rocking and was in a nose high attitude. The aircraft continued moving erratically, then the left wing dropped, and it appeared that the aircraft went into a full stall. It impacted the ground almost immediately." A second witness stated that when the airplane departed, it appeared to "pull up in a 35 or 40 degree angle." The left wing then dropped, and it appeared that the pilot corrected for this, and rolled the airplane to the right, during which time the airplane descended. The right main landing gear struck the ground, and the airplane bounced, became airborne, and drifted to the right. The witness then observed the airplane drift to the left and lose altitude. The left wing, then the airplane, contacted the ground and came to rest upright in a field adjacent to the runway. The airplane was examined at the sight by an FAA inspector. According to the inspector, all four wings were damaged. The lower right wing was separated from the fuselage, and the top right wing was partially separated from the fuselage. The empennage was separated aft of the cockpit. Weather at Valley International Airport (HRL), Harlingen, Texas, approximately 5 miles west of the accident site, at 1259, reported wind from 350 degrees at 13 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, few clouds at 9,500 feet, temperature 63 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 45 degrees Fahrenheit, and a barometric pressure setting of 30.06 inches of Mercury.

See FAA Cause of plane crash

Back to Search

If you have been in a small plane crash or even a small jet crash, it is possible to see other similar plane crashes. Compare & contrast your plane crash with other crashes & get the plane crash information that you need. The FAA files reports on all plane crashes & the following reports are from the FAA.

Search Small Plane Crash Directory

• Plane Crash Year 2003
  (view by month)