Amateur-built Skyraider 1 accident near Blounts Creek, North Carolina, May 6, 2004
On May 6, 2004 at about 10:33 pm local time, a amateur-built Skyraider 1, registered N321TR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Blounts Creek, North Carolina (Private Strip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall. A factor was loss of engine power and water in the fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 2004 · about 10:33 pm local time
- Place
- Blounts Creek, North Carolina · Private Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Skyraider 1
- Registration
- N321TR · registry record · serial 145
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The circumstances of the flight and if a complete preflight or fuel system check was performed by the pilot are not known. A witness stated that the airplane was on a base to final for the grass strip runway when the left wing dipped and the airplane went straight into the ground. The airplane came to rest in a field with a nose down attitude, 100 yards northwest of the runway. Based on the global positioning system (GPS) track recovered from the airplane, the flight duration was one minute and twenty seconds. Examination of the wreckage site found the airplane in the immediate area, approximately 35 degrees in a nose down attitude. The engine was buried several inches into the ground and displaced aft into the cockpit area. Examination of the airplane revealed the fuselage was buckled, the empennage was deflected towards the right side, both wings had leading edge crush damage, the left wing ribs were broken and the right main wheel was separated. The examination also revealed that there was six pounds of lead weight added to the tail section at the bottom of the horizontal stabilizer and there were no problems found with the flight controls. Further examination discovered that there was a small amount of corrosion from water inside the bowl of the carburetor that was found separated from the engine and the bowl from the other carburetor contained fuel and water. The two-inline fuel filters both contained water. The only fuel drain in the aircraft was connected to the bottom of the header tank. The drain was removed and four ounces of water was discovered in the header tank. The left wing tank had no facilities for a drain in the tank and 10 to 12 ounces of water was found in that tank. The right fuel tank had been separated and was empty.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 485 hours in all; 5 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 3, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 22, 2003; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 950 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 DCDI (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Blounts Creek NC at 10:32 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 am from KOCW, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.