Amateur-built BREEZY accident near Hendersonville, North Carolina, April 21, 1996
On April 21, 1996 at about 3:45 pm local time, a amateur-built BREEZY, registered N78LL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hendersonville, North Carolina (Ritter Airpark 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
inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot, by not adequately surveying the area to be used for takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 1996 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hendersonville, North Carolina · Ritter Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BREEZY
- Registration
- N78LL · registry record · serial SSVTS-001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed a precautionary landing in a corn field after being unable to locate his planned destination. He determined his position and elected to takeoff, but he did not survey the corn field before takeoff. During the ground roll, the corn rows changed direction, and the airplane failed to become airborne before colliding with a fence.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 248 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 64 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 183 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 575 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 20, 1995; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 3:45 pm
- Destination: NC33 NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from AVL
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.