Modified part cited in preliminary report of Nashua stunt pilot's crash
The plane crash in Virginia that killed a famous stunt pilot from Nashua last month may have started with a modified part, a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board shows.
Award-winning aerobatic pilot Rob Holland was killed April 24 when his plane crashed at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia.
Rob Holland
Rob Holland
NTSB Preliminary Report
Holland, 50, was flying his customized single-seat MX Aircraft MXS stunt plane when he crashed on approach to the runway at Langley at 11:35 a.m. after flying from Smyrna, Tennessee.
Holland was scheduled to perform at the Air Power Over Hampton Roads air show at Langley.
According to NTSB's preliminary report, multiple witnesses reported seeing the airplane on approach to land on runway 8 at Langley. When it was over the end of the runway, the plane leveled off at about 50 feet and flew straight down the runway for several hundred feet.
'The airplane then 'porpoised' twice, pitched 'straight up,' rolled (90 degrees) to the left and descended to ground impact,' the report says.
A porpoise refers to a series of up-and-down oscillations resembling the jumps and dives of an actual porpoise.
The airplane came to rest in a grass ditch about 100 feet from the left side of the runway and 500 feet beyond the approach threshold.
According to NTSB's preliminary report, a component of the aircraft — "the left elevator counterweight plug" — was not installed.
NTSB crash report
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board have released a preliminary report on the plane crash that killed Rob Holland of Nashua, which focuses on a special modification made to the airplane's controls. The report says one of two small aluminum plugs in the elevator control of Holland's MXS plane was 'not installed' and found 10 feet behind the main wreckage.
The report says Holland worked with the plane's manufacturer on modifications to the aircraft, including creating access holes on the left and right elevators where counterweights could be inserted or removed to adjust the elevator feel depending on the routine Holland intended to perform.
The elevators are hinged flaps on the trailing edge of the horizontal stabilizers that control the plane's pitch up and down.
The counterweights would be secured by a threaded aluminum plug screwed into the hole.
The left elevator counterweight plug was located in the grass about 10 feet behind the wreckage, investigators said.
The plug displayed gouging and "evidence of paint transfer," the report says, with corresponding marks being found on the plane's adjacent horizontal stabilizer.
The report mentions investigators finding aircraft, engine, and propeller damage consistent with a functioning engine, a propeller that was rotating and spinning upon impact.
The aircraft's most recent condition inspection was conducted on March 3, the report says.
NTSB's preliminary report does not suggest a probable cause of the crash, and the accident remains under investigation. A final report is expected to be completed and released in 2026 or early 2027.
Holland had been a licensed pilot since 1992, holding an airline transport pilot certificate with a variety of other ratings. He also held flight instructor and ground instructor certificates.
Holland, a Daniel Webster College graduate, reported 15,387 hours of total flight experience on his most recent application for an FAA second-class medical certificate, which was issued on March 5.
Holland was the 2008 World Advanced Aerobatic Champion, a 10-time U.S. Aerobatic Team member, and 14-time U.S. 4-minute Freestyle Champion, according to his website, which also described him earning his private pilot certificate as a teenager.
He developed his aerobatic skills while building time towing banners, ferrying aircraft, and as a corporate pilot and flight instructor, the site said.
pfeely@unionleader.com
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