Very Short Flight Ends With Forced Landing, Animosity

As pilots, we all know how strong the urge can be to "show off" for our friends and passengers who aren't necessarily familiar, or similarly enthralled, with flying. The following should serve as a cautionary tale for anyone ever tempted to do just that.

Nanette Meaux has filed a lawsuit for an unspecified amount in damages in Collier County Circuit Court against pilot Roger Borg, claiming that she suffered needless injury after a short ride in Borg's Aventura II experimental plane resulted in a forced landing on July 10, 2004.

Meaux maintains the plane (file photos of type, below) was never supposed to have left the ground of the Naples, FL, airport in the first place, and that Borg had told her he was only going to taxi the aircraft.

According to a statements from the lawsuit reported by the Naples Daily News, Borg had initially asked Meaux to stop by to check out the airplane he had just built, before an appointment she had at the airport. Meaux agreed, expecting "only to see Borg's experimental aircraft and for him (to) describe and explain its features and functions."

For her trouble, Borg then offered to take Meaux across the field to her appointment, by taxiing his aircraft. What was allegedly only supposed to be a fast-taxi quickly turned into flying, though, when according to the NTSB report on the incident Borg applied full throttle and took off down runway 23.

Meaux claims she objected instantly, but Borg proceeded with the climb out. At approximately 100 feet off the ground, however, the engine began to surge and it became clear the airplane wasn't performing properly. He then attempted to do a 180 to do a "precautionary landing" back on the runway, resulting in a hard landing at the end of the runway.

Borg was uninjured in the incident. Meaux left the scene in an ambulance, however, suffering a back injury from the experience.

Her lawsuit claims that Borg "did not receive any formal training in the maintenance, repair, use or operation of the experimental vehicle," though Meaux says Borg had claimed proficiency in the operation of the Aventura II.

Both the NTSB report and the lawsuit maintain Borg never received permission from the airport control tower to do anything other than taxi on the ground. Although a violation like an unapproved takeoff requires the airport to notify the FAA, no record of such a notification has been found.

The NTSB report also gives no indication of blame for Borg's piloting skills in the incident, nor does it state that any action was or should be taken towards pulling Borg's ticket.

Meaux and Borg have both been unwilling to comment further, pending the outcome of the lawsuit.

FMI: NTSB Report