NYC03LA103

Factual narrative

On May 11, 2003, at 0612 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Moni-Motorglider 032, N20909, was substantially damaged while attempting to land at Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport (GFL), Glens Falls, New York. The certificated commercial pilot received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the test flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the pilot, he was attempting a "high speed taxi test" when the airplane unexpectedly became airborne, about 1,000 feet down the runway. As the airplane approached the end of the runway, at an altitude of 100 feet, and "marginal airspeed," the pilot initiated a left turn to return to the airport. During the turn, the airplane stalled, and impacted the ground in a steep, nose-down attitude. The airplane had been built by the pilot over the previous 8 months. In the weeks leading up to the accident, the pilot had twice attempted to obtain a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness certificate for it. The FAA inspector who conducted the most recent inspection of the airplane in late April 2003, stated that it did not meet FAA airworthiness standards. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed no mechanical anomalies. Weather conditions reported at the airport, at 0553, included winds from 360 degrees at 4 knots and clear skies. The pilot was attempting a "high speed taxi test" when the airplane unexpectedly became airborne, about 1,000 feet down the runway. As the airplane approached the end of the runway, at an altitude of 100 feet, and "marginal airspeed," the pilot initiated a left turn to return to the airport. During the turn, the airplane stalled, and impacted the ground in a steep, nose-down attitude. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical deficiencies. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12