Amateur-built WOGENSTAHL 281 MR accident near Mount Cory, Ohio, July 14, 2010
On July 14, 2010 at about 4:30 pm local time, a amateur-built WOGENSTAHL 281 MR, registered N5281R, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Mount Cory, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper installation of the rivets at the aft fuselage bulkhead which resulted in the pilot not having full elevator control on landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2010 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Cory, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built WOGENSTAHL 281 MR
- Registration
- N5281R · no longer on the register · serial 281MR
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he heard what sounded like an explosion in the rear of the airplane during cruise flight at 3,000 feet. He stated that the airplane then began to vibrate and it sounded as if something was banging on the airplane. The pilot reported he chose a street on which to make a precautionary landing and that the elevator was ineffective during the landing flare. The airplane touched down hard, bounced, and veered off the side of the road where it contacted two concrete posts prior to nosing over. A post accident inspection revealed that 26 of the Avex rivets on the aft bulkhead had failed/worked out allowing the several sections of the aft fuselage skin to pop up. The inspection also revealed that “smoking” was visible around some of the rivet holes indicating that the rivets were loose. When the pilot purchased the unfinished airplane, the riveting had already been accomplished. The kit manufacturer calls for Avex rivets to be used. The partial separation of the skin from the bulkhead allowed the empennage to flex which most could have resulted in the lack of elevator control during the landing.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft structural failure during enroute defining event
- Flight control sys malf/fail during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Fuselage attach fittings sys › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Fuselage attach fittings sys › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Not specified
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 7,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 9, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 66 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 26, 2010; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MWO Middletown OH at 2:30 pm
- Destination: 1G0 Bowling Green OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from FDY, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.