My father was killed on June 12th, when his Maxair Drifter
seaplane experienced a failure within the frame of the plane. There
was corrosion on the interior of the aluminum tube about 3 inches in
from the beginning of the N-number. It's not a place that is easily
inspected, nor is it a place that anyone would think to examine. My
dad was meticulous about the upkeep of his aircraft and was an FAA
licensed pilot for almost 20 years. So this wasn't some crackpot who
was being irresponsible. Here's a picture of the craft, prior to the
accident, of course. If you could pass the word along, to the other
members of your group, I'd really appreciate it.
Elizabeth Robson
NTSB Identification: NYC05LA096
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, June 12, 2005 in Gloucester, VA
Aircraft: Hall Maxair Drifter, registration: N9238V
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
On June 12, 2005, at 1930 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Maxair
Drifter, N9238V, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain
in Gloucester, Virginia. The certificated private pilot received
fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no
flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under
14 CFR Part 91.
According to witnesses, the pilot left a picnic he was attending
because he "needed to take pictures." The pilot stated he was "going
to get his airplane" and shortly after the witnesses saw the
airplane pass overhead at an altitude of about 200 feet. Several
seconds later, the witnesses observed the tail section of the
airplane "wobble, and then break off." The airplane then pitched
nose down and impacted the ground.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane landed inverted in a nose
low attitude. The empennage was separated from the fuselage at the
tail boom attachment point; however, control cables remained
attached. Both wings remained attached to the fuselage; however,
cable supports were separated at the fuselage attach points.
Corrosion was observed on the tail boom attachment points, as well
as numerous other critical areas of the aircraft.
The aircraft was also equipped with floats, and was often operated
in a salt-water environment.
Examination of the pilot's logbook revealed the most recent entry
was for a flight on May 26, 2004. At that time, he had accumulated
approximately 1,000 hours of total flight experience.
Click on images for larger view the first
picture on the left shows the best shot of the corrosion which
caused the failure.
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