Control Failure Brings Down Sopwith
On July 3, 2020, a Sopwith 9400 experimental airplane, N5539, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Van Alstyne, Texas. The pilot received minor injuries and the passenger was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 test flight. According to the pilot this was the 23rd test flight of the airplane, which was built following original design drawings. The flight was scheduled to be a short flight to confirm flying and landing wire deflections, flight control synchronization while under air loading, and to perform an aerial reconnoiter for potential obstacles at the approach end of the runway. A second crewmember was also on-board, responsible for mon