Amateur-built Avid Flyer accident near Covington, New York, September 6, 2003
On September 6, 2003 at about 1:30 am local time, a amateur-built Avid Flyer, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Covington, New York (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to abort the takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2003 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Covington, New York · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Avid Flyer
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial Unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot initiated a takeoff roll on an 800-foot-long, 60-foot-wide, turf runway. The airplane was not initially aligned with the runway, and the pilot utilized a portion of the takeoff roll to align the airplane with the runway centerline. The airplane's takeoff roll was longer than usual, and once airborne, the pilot thought that the airplane would not clear trees at the end of the runway. Additionally, the pilot thought that there was insufficient runway remaining to abort the takeoff. He increased the airplane's pitch angle and cleared the trees. However, the airplane subsequently experienced an inadvertent stall and impacted a grass field beyond the trees.
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: 212 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cuyuna 430 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Covington NY at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 800 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.