16 May 2016
British pilot Tracey Curtis-Taylor has had an accident in the Boeing Stearman biplane she was flying across the USA. She and Ewald Gritsch who was flying with her are unhurt. Gritsch is a partner in 3G Classic Aviation in Hungary which restored the aircraft, named The Spirit of Artemis.
Tracey wrote on Facebook, “The accident happened as we were flying to Phoenix in Arizona after refuelling and taking off from Winslow. The cause seems to be a combination of high density altitude (Winslow has an elevation of 5,000ft above sea level) and a partial loss of power at a height of about 50ft after take-off.
“The Spirit of Artemis then started to sink which was not a great scenario with power lines directly ahead but thankfully there was open desert to the south. I did a gentle left turn and then levelled off.
“It hit the ground and rolled forward about twenty feet but then the right wheel struck a dense sage root mound which tore off the right landing gear and threw the plane onto its left wing. It then cartwheeled tail over the nose in a cloud of sand and dust. The damage is extensive but the impact was absorbed by the wings and the airframe and the cockpit remained intact.
Crumpled Stearman after accident after take-off. Fortunately Tracey Curtis-Taylor and fellow pilot Ewald Gritsch were unhurt. (Photos: Tracey Curtis-Taylor)
“The Stearman is a famously strong aeroplane but my admiration for it is now absolutely boundless when I consider the wider implications of what could have happened.
“I am devastated by all of this and profoundly sorry that I won’t be able to finish the flight, at least not this year. I have been overwhelmed by messages of support from Boeing Company and indeed the whole general aviation community here in the US. Amazingly, I have even been offered another Stearman to complete the flight but I have such a deep attachment to the Spirit of Artemis and we have come such a long way together that I cannot contemplate doing it in anything else.”
The Stearman will be shipped back to 3G Classic Aviation in Hungary where the rebuild will start immediately. 3G already has a spare engine and a set of new wings. Tracey is hoping the aircraft might be ready for the Farnborough Air Show in July.
“The bigger plan is to bring it back to Winslow early next year and pick up the journey where we left off,” said Tracey. “But with more time to do major aviation events like Oshkosh in addition to the wider outreach programme.
“On the day of the accident I had experienced some of the best flying I have ever known over some of the most beautiful and dramatic scenery I have ever seen – the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Monument Valley and the Valley of the Gods. It all has an epic grandeur which is almost out of this world.”
Tracey Curtis-Taylor
3G Classic Aviation
