Overview
On May 26, 2024, at 1200 eastern daylight time, a Great Lakes 2T-1 (Menasco Special), registration N818K, was substantially damaged when it crashed near Salisbury, Maryland. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger sustained serious injuries. The aircraft was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The airplane was an open-cockpit, two-place, tandem-seat vintage biplane equipped with a 125-horsepower reciprocating engine. The pilot, who had accumulated 14,135 total flight hours—including 30 hours in the accident make and model—flew from the rear seat, while the pilot-rated passenger occupied the front seat.
Flight History
The flight departed from Bennett Airport (1N5) in Salisbury, Maryland, just before 1200. According to the pilot-rated passenger, it was the second flight of the day for the pilot and airplane; the first flight, with another passenger, was uneventful. The passenger recalled taxiing to runway 35 for departure and normal engine operation. During the flight, she felt the airplane was “slow and mushy,” but attributed this to unfamiliarity with the aircraft. She was not flying the airplane at the time of the accident and could not recall further details.
The passenger from the earlier flight observed the accident airplane depart on runway 35 and make a right turn. Shortly after, he saw the airplane execute a 180-degree turn back toward the airport while descending. The airplane then disappeared behind trees; he heard a “thud” and saw a puff of dust in the distance. He could not hear the engine due to his distance. He recorded a video of the takeoff that ended shortly after the initial right turn; strong engine noise was audible throughout the clip.
The pilot stated he could not remember the accident but recalled preflight activities. Before the first flight, he and both passengers performed a preflight inspection, adding 5 gallons of 100LL fuel to the single tank, bringing the total to about 20 gallons. The fuel was drawn from a gasoline canister kept in his hangar. The pilot noted the airplane contained three gallons of oil. He was uncertain whether the accident passenger had intended to fly or whether the passenger flew during the first flight.
Accident Sequence and Wreckage
The airplane came to rest in a grassy open field approximately half a mile northeast of Bennett Airport. The wreckage exhibited damage consistent with a left wing- and nose-low attitude at impact. The empennage remained largely undamaged. A postaccident examination confirmed control cable continuity from the cockpit flight controls to each control surface. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.