Amateur-built WILGA 80 accident near Churchville, Maryland, July 11, 1994
On July 11, 1994 at about 4:00 pm local time, a amateur-built WILGA 80, registered N7080B, was involved in an accident near Churchville, Maryland (Hanford County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER STARTING PROCEDURE BY THE PILOT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 1994 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Churchville, Maryland · Hanford County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built WILGA 80
- Registration
- N7080B · no longer on the register · serial CF21920934
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO HAND PROP A 260 HORSE POWER RADIAL ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS NORMALLY STARTED WITH COMPRESSED AIR; HOWEVER, THE AIR RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. THE IGNITION SYSTEM USED A 'SHOWER OF SPARKS' SYSTEM. ANOTHER PILOT SAT IN A PILOT SEAT TO HOLD THE BRAKES. THE ENGINE WAS PRIMED AND THE MAGNETO SWITCH TURNED ON. THE PILOT PULLED THE PROPELLER BLADE AND ONE CYLINDER FIRED. HIS HEAD WAS WITHIN THE ARC OF THE ROTATING PROPELLER BLADES AND HE WAS STRUCK BY A BLADE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,090 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,866 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: AI-14RA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.