Davis Early Bird Jenny accident near Scottsburg, Indiana, October 11, 2002
On October 11, 2002 at about 8:40 pm local time, a Davis Early Bird Jenny, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N1918N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Scottsburg, Indiana (Scottsburg Airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot not maintaining aircraft control. Factors to the accident included the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin at a low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2002 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Scottsburg, Indiana · Scottsburg Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Davis Early Bird Jenny, amateur-built
- Registration
- N1918N · no longer on the register · serial CADEBJ001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on crosswind leg the aircraft stalled, entered a spin, and subsequently impacted a lake. The accident flight was the first flight since being certified as an experimental homebuilt. The pilot reported he departed to the north and climbed through 200 feet above ground level (agl) prior to turning crosswind. The pilot stated that during the turn he "noticed the controls getting mushy. Another glance at the airspeed indicator now showed 30 mph! I instantly pushed the stick forward and applied right aileron to level the wings. Simultaneously the left wing dropped and the nose yawed left. The aircraft continued a little more than 360[degrees] left turn before the application of right rudder and increasing speed stopped it. I had just [enough] time to raise the nose from [approximately] 60[degrees] nose down to a 15-20[degree] nose low attitude before I impacted the water slightly left wing low."
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,339 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 3,028 as pilot in command; 1,380 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 7, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 0.1 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 5, 2001; 0.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Moto Guzzi V800T (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3R8 Scottsburg IN at 8:38 pm
- Destination: 3R8
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 2,750 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.