Amateur-built Avid Flyer accident near Anderson, Indiana, April 12, 2003
On April 12, 2003 at about 5:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Avid Flyer, registered N29MD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anderson, Indiana (Anderson Municipal Airport). It was a flight test 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 misjudgment of speed which resulted in a landing overrun. The pilot's lack of experience in make and model airplane, and the ditch were contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2003 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Anderson, Indiana · Anderson Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Avid Flyer
- Registration
- N29MD · registry record · serial 19853
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The amateur-built airplane sustained substantial damage during landing rollout when the airplane nosed over in a ditch. The pilot reported he was conducting a series of high speed taxi tests. He reported, "On the third run, I continued to 'fast taxi' and I suddenly found myself off the ground and in an unstable position." He did not intend to takeoff. Once airborne, the pilot decided, "It would be prudent to familiarize myself with the aircraft as best as I could before I attempted to land." The pilot reported he no experience flying that model airplane before, so he practiced flying the airplane for about an hour before he attempted to land. He decided to land on the grass adjacent to the runway. He reported, "The rollout was smooth, but my speed was excessive and I knew I would not be able to stop the aircraft before I came to the threshold lights." The pilot steered the airplane away from the threshold lights, but the airplane went into a ditch and nosed over.
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: 600 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 26, 2003; 0 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cuyuna 430 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MZZ Marion IN at 4:00 pm
- Destination: AID Anderson IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from AID
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.