Amateur-built Wittman Tailwind W-8 accident near Mesquite, Texas, June 23, 2002
On June 23, 2002 at about 10:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Wittman Tailwind W-8, registered N14VK, was destroyed in an accident near Mesquite, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The in-flight separation of the outboard portion of the left wing due to the failure of the wing spar resulting from the builder's improper installation of a wing that did not meet the drawing specifications.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2002 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mesquite, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Wittman Tailwind W-8
- Registration
- N14VK · no longer on the register · serial 14808
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The homebuilt airplane was destroyed following an in-flight separation of the left wing in level flight, and the subsequent uncontrolled flight into terrain. The outboard 2 feet of the left wing with the left wing spar was found approximately 300 yards from the main wreckage. The NTSB Metallurgist examination of the wing revealed fracture features indicating that the main spar failed in an overload event. The fracture on the left wing appeared to initiate at the root end, and the root fractures were created by compression loads, indicative of upward aerodynamic loading. No evidence of preexisting cracks or deteriorated wood was found and the spars were manufactured from the specified material. The comparison with the design revealed that the wings were 16 inches (2 ribs voids) short and the location and angle of the wing support strut had been adjusted to account for the shorter wing. The misalignment of the strut attachment fittings and the root attachment fittings on the spar suggest that the holes had been drilled before the wing was fitted for the aircraft. The location of the remaining root attachment hole suggest that the wing was built for a different aircraft and installed on the accident aircraft. The effect of the improper wing, wing overall length, improper attachment at the wing strut locations, and improper root configuration and attachments on the wing failures is unknown. However, since the fractures appear to have started at the root, the out-of-specification features associated with the root may have had the most effect. The airplane was built from 1995 to 1999. On December 2, 1999, the FAA Registration Certificate was issued to the builder/pilot. There were no builder or maintenance records available to the Safety Board, and the history of the left wing and spar could not be determined.
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: 1,875 hours in all
- Last flight review: May 18, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 21, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 1,552 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HQZ Mesquite TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from TRL, 15 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.
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.