Amateur-built Genesis accident near Petersburg, West Virginia, August 25, 2002
On August 25, 2002 at about 8:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Genesis, registered N51XT, was destroyed in an accident near Petersburg, West Virginia (Grant County Airport). 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 pilot's failure to maintain airspeed after a loss of engine power, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. Factors included the pilot's inadequate preflight planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and the transmission wires in the pilot's glide path.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2002 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Petersburg, West Virginia · Grant County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Genesis
- Registration
- N51XT · no longer on the register · serial 051
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was approaching an airport with its engine running, when the engine suddenly stopped, then ran, and finally stopped again. The airplane glided, and just cleared transmission wires when the nose "dropped," and the airplane descended vertically into a cornfield. There was no evidence of fuel spillage at the scene, and the only fuel found was a small amount in the auxiliary fuel tank. The private pilot/owner of the airplane had recently bought it, and before the accident flight, had not previously not flown it or any other airplanes of the same make.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 330 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2002; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Bombardier 914T (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MFD Mansfield OH at 4:51 pm
- Destination: W99 Petersburg WV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from W99, 1 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.