Crews Worked On Aircraft's Engine Prior To Crash

Investigators are still working to determine what happened to cause an experimental aircraft to crash into trees near Schenectady County Airport (SCH) in upstate New York Tuesday afternoon, critically injuring the pilot.

Local cable channel Capital News 9 reports the pilot had conducted high-speed taxi tests at the airport near Glenville, following work on the engine mounted to the SAL 2/3 P-51 -- a small kitbuilt aircraft based on the legendary World War II-era P-51 Mustang. Following those ground trials, the pilot was cleared by tower controllers for takeoff.

Things went downhill soon after. Witnesses told the Albany Times Union the aircraft climbed out to around 200 feet AGL, before they saw the plane disappear beneath the tree line.

"It looked like he was fighting to keep the nose up," said Jim Lott, who works at the Empire State Aerosciences Museum located on the field. "It was wobbling from side to side, like a bird flapping its wings. He was trying to keep it up, but he didn't clear the trees."

A pilot who was taxiing out when the accident occurred added it was clear the aircraft was in distress. "He said he lost power. They (controllers) cleared him to land on any runway, but he didn't make it," said the pilot, who declined to be identified.

The aircraft came to rest inverted in the trees. Rescuers had to contend with a fire in the plane's engine compartment before they were able to pull off the aircraft's canopy, and free the pilot.

The pilot -- identified only as a 42-year-old male test pilot, who did not own the aircraft -- was transported by ground ambulance to a nearby hospital with head injuries. After he was stabilized, a helicopter transported him to Albany Medical Center Hospital.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 51WW        Make/Model: EXP       Description: SAL2/3 P51
  Date: 09/23/2008     Time: 1901

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Serious     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: SCHENECTADY   State: NY   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT WHILE TAXIING, RAN OFF THE RUNWAY INTO THE TREES, SCHENECTADY, NY

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   1     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Taxi      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: ALBANY, NY  (EA01)                    Entry date: 09/24/2008
 
FMI: www.faa.gov