Amateur-built Skybolt accident near Warrenton, Virginia, July 31, 2001
On July 31, 2001 at about 5:50 pm local time, a amateur-built Skybolt, registered N66FW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Warrenton, Virginia (Warrenton-Fauquier Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2001 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Warrenton, Virginia · Warrenton-Fauquier Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Skybolt
- Registration
- N66FW · registry record · serial FDW66
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The CFI was giving tailwheel instruction to the private pilot. After one hour of practicing grass landings, they returned to the airport for a full-stop landing. During touchdown, the pilot applied "too much rudder," the tailwheel began to shimmy, and the airplane departed the right side of the runway. No mechanical deficiencies were reported by the pilots. The CFI reported 23,000 hours of total flight time, 3,800 hours of tail wheel flight time, and 10 hours of flight time in make and model. The winds reported at an airport 8 miles away, were from 130 degrees at 3 knots.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 23,000 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 23,000 as pilot in command; 9,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 115 hours in all; 6 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W66 Warrenton VA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: W66 Warrenton VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 4,103 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 5:41 pm from CJR, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.