Amateur-built LONG-EZ accident near Remington, Virginia, November 1, 1999
On November 1, 1999 at about 8:30 pm local time, a amateur-built LONG-EZ, registered N743TC, was destroyed in an accident near Remington, Virginia (Culpepper County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from the trees while maneuvering at low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 1, 1999 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Remington, Virginia · Culpepper County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LONG-EZ
- Registration
- N743TC · no longer on the register · serial 1458
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had given an airplane ride to a passenger earlier in the day, and departed on a second flight with another passenger. Two witnesses described the airplane's flight path from east to west over their heads and then returning from the south over the river. They described the engine noise as smooth and without interruption. The airplane descended into the river channel, below the tops of the trees, at a steep angle of bank. The airplane 'fluttered' as it continued through a steep left turn and struck the treetops along the riverbank. The airplane continued through the trees approximately 500 feet before it struck terrain and caught fire. Several composite propeller fragments and pieces of angular cut wood were found along the wreckage path. Other than extensive fire damage, no discrepancies were noted in the wreckage of the airframe or engine. Immediately after the crash, the pilot reported to one of the witnesses, 'I don't understand. I just couldn't get it out of my bank.'
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 60 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CJR Culpeper VA at 8:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from HEF, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.