Amateur-built WITTMAN TAILWIND W10 accident near Waldron, Arkansas, October 6, 2022
On October 6, 2022 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 2021 amateur-built WITTMAN TAILWIND W10, registered N717AB, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Waldron, Arkansas (M27 airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the landing resulting in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall and hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 6, 2022 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Waldron, Arkansas · M27 · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built WITTMAN TAILWIND W10, built 2021
- Registration
- N717AB · registry record · serial 717
- 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 was conducting his first flight in the airplane and practiced some basic stall maneuvers at altitude before attempting to land. During the first attempted landing, the airplane landed hard from about 2 ft above ground level (agl), and the pilot performed a go-around. During the second landing, about 8 ft agl, he reduced engine power and [the airplane] “bottomed out.” He stated the airplane bounced uncontrollably, nosed over, bounced again, spun to the right and flipped over, coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations. The pilot’s statement included a recommendation to acquire transition training in a “new to you” airplane.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 31.5 in the last 90 days; 18.1 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 15, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 1, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,544 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 Ser (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,650 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 12:15 pm from KMEZ, 20 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMEZ 061715Z AUTO 29010KT 10SM CLR 29/09 A3018 RMK AO2 P0100 T02850090 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 24, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photograph | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.