Amateur-built W10-WITTMAN TAILWIND accident near Brooksville, Florida, September 29, 2021
On September 29, 2021 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 2005 amateur-built W10-WITTMAN TAILWIND, registered N68TW, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Brooksville, Florida (Brooksville-Tampa Bay Rgnl 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 failure of the nose landing gear retention bolt during taxi which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent impact with the taxiway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2021 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Brooksville, Florida · Brooksville-Tampa Bay Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built W10-WITTMAN TAILWIND, built 2005
- Registration
- N68TW · registry record · serial 881
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after landing, he applied the brakes and felt a “violent shimmy.” He released the brakes and the nose landing gear leg rotated left and aft which resulted in the right wing impacting the runway surface. A post-accident examination revealed that the nose landing gear retention bolt had sheared and the airplane had sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot stated that he was the second owner and noticed that the original builder had not followed the design plans for the airplane, so the pilot modified the nose wheel attach plate to strengthen it but did not modify the gear assembly attach point which resulted in the failure.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during taxi (from runway)
- Part(s) separation from AC during taxi (from runway)
- Landing gear collapse during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Modification/alteration › Owner/builder
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 985 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 985 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 4, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 42 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 21, 2021; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,480 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Viking Honda 195T (piston); 23 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 7,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from BKV
Weather report (METAR): METAR KBKV 291553Z 02007KT 10SM CLR 29/17 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP174 T02940172=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on May 5, 2022. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation_pilot/owner | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record_pilot/owner E-mail to FAA | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array_accident Site and Damage | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 ERA21LA385.