Sun, Aug 07, 2016
Magnificent Recreation Involved in Fatal Accident in OK
ANN RealTime Update, 080616, 2058 ET: ANN has learned that the fatal loss of Scotty Wilson in the much beloved Bugatti 100p replica occurred about a minute into the third flight of the aircraft. After gear retraction, the aircraft was observed in a shallow climb before it reportedly rolled suddenly to the left and pitched down to impact. The accident was not deemed to be survivable and the aircraft burned after impact.
Original Report: ANN regrets to note that the truly stunning Bugatti 100p replica is reported down, with the loss of its pilot, Scotty Wilson, an experienced military pilot. The accident occurred early Saturday morning, near Burns Flat, OK.
The replica first flew in August of 2015 and dealt with a number of teething problems along the way, including an incident on its first flight whereby the vehicle was damaged when the right brake failed after landing, and the plane veered off the runway. The short hop reached only reached 100 feet AGL... after the airplane veered off the runway after landing, the nose of the airplane sunk into soft ground caused by heavy rains and damaged the spinner and both props of the airplane.
The Saturday accident has been confirmed by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and reportedly took place near the Clinton-Sherman Airfield FB at 0825 local time. Few details are available at this time outside of the fact that the aircraft was involved in the early stages of a test program of a replica aircraft that never actually flew in its original iteration.
The airframe's original designer, Ettore Bugatti, was a well-known and highly-regarded European entrepreneur and industrialist, according to the Bugatti 100p website. Bugatti was best known for his automotive efforts but, "Few know that Bugatti built the most extraordinary airplane of its time. The Bugatti 100P exhibited cutting-edge aerodynamics combined with innovative, performance-enhancing features for which Bugatti won five patents. It is perhaps the most historically-significant airplane that never flew."
ANN will present more details as they become available.
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