Amateur-built 1905 Wright Flyer accident near Dayton, Ohio, October 5, 2007
On October 5, 2007 at about 2:42 pm local time, a amateur-built 1905 Wright Flyer, registered N3635N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dayton, Ohio (Dayton-Wright Patterson Afb airport). It was an air show or air race 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 altitude not maintained by the pilot for a turning maneuver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2007 · about 2:42 pm local time
- Place
- Dayton, Ohio · Dayton-Wright Patterson Afb
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 1905 Wright Flyer
- Registration
- N3635N · no longer on the register · serial 01
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air show or air race flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane received substantial damage on impact with terrain. The pilot reported that the right wing followed by the rest of the airplane contacted the ground during a turn at an altitude of approximately 5-15 feet above the ground. There were no injuries. The pilot later recommended flying at an altitude of about 10-18 feet above the ground while turning to prevent an accident.
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: 200 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 150 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 935 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Dusenberry, Mark 1905 Wright (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFFO Dayton OH
- Destination: KFFO Dayton OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 17,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 2:42 pm from KFFO, 2 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N3635N the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.