Wed, Jul 23, 2003
First Flight Went Wrong
David Robert Thompson, 38, who was working as an engineer on
Burt Rutan's X-Prize rocket motor, was also building his own Q2 at
home.
The Q2, a beefed-up, (generally) VW-powered 2-seat version
of the early-80s composite solo Quickie design, had been one
object of his devotion in those minutes when he could juggle life
among job, family, and hobby.
The first flight, out of
Tehachapi (CA) Mountain Valley Airport, north of LA, was to have
been a celebration. Instead, his wife and two children, there to
cheer and to videotape the moment, were witnesses to tragedy.
The machine got airborne; then it "...fell back onto the runway
and burst into flames," according to an AP report.
Rutan said that Thompson hadn't told many at work about the
project.
** Report created 7/22/2003 Record
5 **
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: UNK
Make/Model: EXP Description:
EXP-
Date: 07/20/2003 Time: 1700
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: TEHACHAPI State: CA Country:
US
DESCRIPTION
UNKNOWN REGISTRED EXPERIMENTAL ACFT, REPORTEDLY ON A TEST
FLIGHT, ON TAKEOFF CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, ONE PERSON
ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, ACFT WAS DESTROYED, MT. VALLEY
AIRPORT, TAHACHAPI, CA
INJURY DATA Total Fatal:
1
# Crew: 1 Fat:
1 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: METAR WJF 201656 26010KT 10SM CLR 32/11 A3007
OTHER DATA
Activity: Pleasure Phase:
Take-off Operation: General
Aviation
Departed: TEHACHAPI,
CA
Dep Date: Dep. Time:
Destination: TEHACHAPI,
CA
Flt Plan: UNK
Wx Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: UNK
Last Clearance: UNK
FAA FSDO: VAN NUYS, CA
(WP01)
Entry date: 07/21/2003
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