Wed, Aug 27, 2003
Pilot Couldn't/Didn't Get Out in Time
The Sunday morning crash of an Aero Vochody L-39 Albatros jet
trainer has investigators puzzled.
Witnesses say the plane seemed to be spooling up some power when
it went down in the Forest Hill neighborhood near Baltimore (MD),
killing the pilot, who is believed to have been owner Robert
Martin, a building contractor.
One radio report gave an inexplicable explanation: "Steve Demko,
of the National Transportation Safety Board, says the wing flaps
may have stalled, causing the Aero L-39 Albatros to nose-dive to
the ground, killing the pilot." Where the flap goes, so too goes
the wing.
[Keith Holloway, the NTSB's duty officer on Sunday, said
that didn't seem right. He thought perhaps Demko had been
quoted out of context, or simply misquoted. "I definitely
would not go with that," he told ANN --ed.]
** Report created 8/26/2003 Record
1 **
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 298RD
Make/Model: L39 Description: L-39/139
Albatross
Date: 08/24/2003 Time: 1520
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: BALTIMORE State: MD Country:
US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTING TO DEPART ON RUNWAY 15/23 CRASHED UNDER
UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES 15 MILES NORTH OF MARTIN STATE AIRPORT, ONE
PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, BALTIMORE, MD
INJURY DATA Total Fatal:
1
# Crew: 1 Fat:
1 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: KMTN 2410445Z 29004KT 10SM FEW200 15/12 A3012
OTHER DATA
Activity: Pleasure Phase:
Take-off Operation: General
Aviation
Departed: MARTIN
STATE
Dep Date: Dep. Time:
Destination:
UNK
Flt Plan: UNK
Wx Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: UNK
Last Clearance: UNK
FAA FSDO: BALTIMORE, MD
(EA07)
Entry date: 08/25/2003 #
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