Moyes Bailey DRAGONFLY accident near Massey, Maryland, October 18, 2011
On October 18, 2011 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Moyes Bailey DRAGONFLY, registered N103ST, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Massey, Maryland (Massey Aerodrome airport). It was a personal flight 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 did not maintain airspeed during approach to landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2011 · about 9:30 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Massey, Maryland · Massey Aerodrome · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Moyes Bailey DRAGONFLY · all DRAGONFLYs on the register
- Registration
- N103ST · registry record · serial 16
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that this was his first time flying the light sport airplane, and he was getting familiarized with the airplane’s flight and landing characteristics. He completed one uneventful landing. On the second landing, he did not maintain airspeed, and the airplane stalled just before touchdown. A witness reported that, as the airplane was approaching to land, its right wing dropped and impacted the ground. The airplane then spun toward the right before the nose section impacted the ground and sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane or any of its systems prior to the 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
What happened, in order
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 938 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: September 1, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 867 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582UL DCDI (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MD1 Massey MD at 7:00 pm
- Destination: MD1 Massey MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 1,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from MD!
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 January 19, 2012. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N103ST on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Moyes Bailey DRAGONFLY 5 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Moyes Bailey 5 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rotax 582UL DCDI 100 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Massey Aerodrome · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Maryland 836 since 1982 · 110 in the last ten years
- Maryland 2,344 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA12CA042.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.