Amateur-built VOLKSPLANE VP-II accident near Westmore, Vermont, September 6, 1999
On September 6, 1999 at about 12:00 pm local time, a amateur-built VOLKSPLANE VP-II, registered N8535B, was destroyed in an accident near Westmore, Vermont. It was a ferry 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 adequate altitude/clearance from the trees. A related factor was the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 1999 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Westmore, Vermont
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VOLKSPLANE VP-II VOLKSPLANE
- Registration
- N8535B · no longer on the register · serial V2-12-79-SV
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had recently bought the homebuilt airplane, which hadn't been flown in the previous 3 years, and he reassembled it at his airstrip. He conducted an engine ground test, and subsequently decided to change the original propeller to one with a smaller diameter in order to prevent ground strike damage. The pilot then decided to fly the airplane to another airport, where additional repairs could be made. It was his first flight in the accident airplane, and according to a witness, the takeoff was conducted under 'fairly calm' wind conditions. The airplane began its takeoff roll about 250 feet from the approach end of the grass airstrip, on a downwards slope. It lifted off after rolling about 1,000 feet, but did not gain enough altitude to avoid 50-foot trees at the far end. It turned toward the left, but then descended into two pine trees which were in a gully, and below the elevation of the airstrip. The airplane sheared off the treetops, then rolled inverted, and struck the ground. The engine was heard operating strongly throughout the takeoff attempt, and the wooden propeller blades were shattered. The pilot had about 300 hours of flight time.
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, September 6, 1999; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen VW 1600 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE VT at 12:00 pm
- Destination: EFK Newport VT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 1,500 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 am from BTV, 50 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.