Amateur-built Wittman Tailwind W10 accident near Waunakee, Wisconsin, August 1, 2004
On August 1, 2004, a amateur-built Wittman Tailwind W10, registered N917WT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waunakee, Wisconsin (Waunakee 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 proper airspeed during final approach, which resulted in the inadvertent stall/mush at a low altitude and subsequent hard landing. A factor to the accident was the pilot's unsuccessful remedial action to the encountered stall/mush at a low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 2004
- Place
- Waunakee, Wisconsin · Waunakee Airport · 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
- Registration
- N917WT · registry record · serial 00-1170
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane stalled while on short final approach, which resulted in a hard landing. The pilot reported that when he turned onto final approach the airplane was positioned about 500 feet above ground level (agl) with an airspeed indication of 80 miles/hour. The pilot stated that he noticed the airplane was too high while he crossed-over the approach end of the runway and that the "airspeed was at stall [speed]." The pilot stated he responded by lowering the aircraft's nose and increasing engine power. The pilot reported the increase of engine power "did not respond until nearly on the runway." The pilot stated the airplane "landed hard" and the main landing gear collapsed.
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: 574 hours in all; 201 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 523 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 20, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 24, 2004; 13.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,425 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6P3 Waunakee WI at 11:30 pm
- Destination: 6P3 Waunakee WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,223 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI04CA211.