Serious incident Rutan VariEze UNREG, Sunday 26 July 1992

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Date:	Sunday 26 July 1992
Time:	21:35 LT
Type:	Rutan VariEze
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	UNREG
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	Terry, MT - United States of America
Phase:	Taxi
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Terry, MT (8U6)
Destination airport:	(8U6)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
THE NON-CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS TAXIING WESTBOUND ON RUNWAY 25 WHEN THE UNREGISTERED HOMEBUILT VARI EZE BECAME AIRBORNE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO REACH AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 20-30 FEET AGL AS IT ROLLED COUNTER CLOCKWISE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW INVERTED ATTITUDE. FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WITNESSED THE OCCURRENCE REPORTED THAT THE PILOT DID NOT INTEND TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT, BUT ONLY TAXI ALONG THE RUNWAY.

Probable Cause: THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S EXCEEDING LIFTOFF SPEED DURING A TAXI TEST.

Accident investigation: