Design With Troubled History Involved In Another Fatal Accident

A Wheeler Express FT, the product of a 14 year building project, was lost in Canada over the weekend killing its pilot, 52 year-old Walter Bussey.

The personable Florida based homebuilder of the composite four place experimental design with a history of a number of accidents and design issues, Bussey was flying to Saskatoon, Canada, on his way to Alaska. He had had just departed at 1714 local time, Friday, when the accident happened, according to Rob Slinger, CEO of the Regina Airport Authority.

The aircraft went down on a farm less than a mile from Regina Airport in south central Canada, and was being followed in another aircraft by fellow aviator, Mike Hutton. Bussey was reportedly killed on impact. A post-crash grass fire was put out quickly and Canada's TSB is said to have taken up the investigation.

Bussey was reported to be an interesting aviator, a singer/songwriter who also owned a record label that went by the name of GeoSynchronous Records. Additionally; he had designed sound equipment and guitar amps for Fender, and once worked in the design of communication systems for the Space Shuttle.

The Wheeler Express (file photos, shown above and below) was a design first seen on the homebuilt scene some twenty years ago. Known to have had a number of design deficiencies, the design was subjected to a number of design reviews and modifications over the years, though the aircraft has since been involved in a number of fatal accidents, two of which involved persons associated with the (then) manufacturers of the aircraft.

** Report created 8/7/2006 Record 5 **
IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 554SB Make/Model: EXP Description: EXPRESS FT
 Date: 08/04/2006 Time: 2316
 Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
 Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
 City: REGINA State: Country: CA

DESCRIPTION
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, 2 MILES SOUTH OF REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA

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: NOT REPORTED
OTHER DATA
 Departed: REGINA, CANADA Dep Date: Dep. Time:
 Destination: SASKATOON, CANADA Flt Plan: Wx Briefing:
 Last Radio Cont:
 Last Clearance:

FMI: www.wheelerexpress.com/