Latest news with #MXAircraftMXS
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
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@
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Famed pilot's plane ‘porpoised,' rolled before fatal crash at Langley Air Force Base
HAMPTON — Famed aerobatic pilot Rob Holland's plane appeared to be making a normal approach to Langley Air Force Base last week until it reached the end of the runway, according to a preliminary report issued Friday by the National Transportation Safety Board. As Holland's custom built, single-seat MX Aircraft MXS approached, it leveled off about 50 feet above the runway, then flew straight down the runway for several hundred feet, the report said. The airplane then 'porpoised,' pitched straight up, and rolled 90 degrees to the left before crashing into a grassy ditch about 100 feet from the runway. A porpoise landing is a bounced landing that, if not recovered by the pilot, results in a plane touching down nose first. If not corrected, the plane will go into a series of nose ups and nose downs, like a real porpoise leaping in and out of the water. The 5-page report said Holland's plane porpoised twice. The 50-year-old national aerobatic champion was flying to Joint-Base Langley-Eustis on April 24 to prepare for his performance in the base's Air Power Over Hampton Roads air show in a couple of days. Holland flew to the base from Smyrna Airport in Smyrna, Tennessee, according to the NTSB. The crash at Langley occurred about 11:35 a.m. NTSB preliminary accident investigation reports focus on factual information gathered at the scene, and are issued about one to two weeks after the accident. Preliminary reports don't provide a determination of probable cause of an accident. That information is included in the final report, which can take a year or more to complete. The preliminary report in Holland's case said he worked with the manufacturer of his aircraft to modify it to his specifications. All the plane's major components were accounted for at the site, the report said, and its most recent condition inspection was completed March 3. Jane Harper,
American Military News
28-04-2025
- General
- American Military News
Stunt pilot Rob Holland dies in crash at USAF base ahead of air show
Famed stunt pilot Rob Holland died Thursday when his plane crashed at a U.S. Air Force Base in Virginia days before an upcoming air show. The crash occurred around 11:39 a.m. when Holland's experimental MX Aircraft MXS was approaching Joint Base Langley-Eustis. Holland was the only person aboard the two-seat aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation of the crash, the cause of which is unknown. The Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense are assisting the probe. 'Rob was one of the most respected and inspiring aerobatic pilots in aviation history,' a statement posted on his official Facebook page read. 'Even with an absolutely impressive list of accomplishments, both in classical competition aerobatics and within the air show world, Rob was the most humble person with a singular goal to simply be better than he was yesterday.' Holland's death comes just ahead of the biennial Air Power Over Hampton Roads air show, which is scheduled for this weekend. Holland flew at the 2023 event. The base confirmed the fatal crash and said it was related to the air show. 'Today we lost a friend of our Air Force family,' Col. Matthew Altman, Joint Base Langley-Eustis commander, said in a statement. 'On behalf of our entire JBLE team, I want to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of this incredible aviator.' ___ © 2025 New York Daily News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Stunt pilot Rob Holland killed in plane crash before air show
Famed aerobatic pilot Rob Holland has died after a plane crash at the Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia. His death on Thursday was announced in a statement on his official Facebook page. Mr Holland, 50, was due to perform this weekend at Air Power Over Hampton Roads, a popular air show at the Virginia base. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was investigating the crash of the experimental MX Aircraft MXS. Mr. Holland previously piloted the carbon-fibre, custom-built MXS-RH, a single-seater aircraft made by the same Australian company whose experimental plane crashed. He was approaching the runway "for a normal landing" when the crash happened, NTSB's lead investigator Dan Boggs said at a news conference on Friday. "There was no acrobatic (sic) manoeuvres or nothing planned at that time." Jim Bourke, president of the International Aerobatic Club, said Mr Holland "revolutionized our sport, not just within the USA but on the world stage, arriving on the aerobatic competition scene like a wrecking ball laying waste to everyone who challenged him". John Cudahy, president of the International Council of Air Shows, told the Associated Press, Mr Holland "demonstrated what the end of the road for a pursuit of excellence looks like". He performed at the 2023 edition of the biennial air show at the base and won several competitions for his daring stunts in the cockpit. He won the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships a record 13 consecutive times with his last win being in 2024. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Art Scholl Award, which is presented by the International Council of Air Shows. His website details a list of his 2025 appearances, including airshows in Chicago, Milwaukee and Gold Coast, Australia. Mr Holland was from New Hampshire and was a teenager when he first qualified as a pilot, according to his website. He also studied aviation at a now-defunct New Hampshire college. "Even with an absolutely impressive list of accomplishments, both in classical competition aerobatics and within the air show world, Rob was the most humble person with a singular goal to simply be better than he was yesterday," the Facebook statement said. The air show this weekend is expected to draw over 100,000 visitors, the air base said a day before the crash.
BBC News
26-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Rob Holland: Stunt pilot killed in plane crash
Famed aerobatic pilot Rob Holland has died after a plane crash at the Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, death on Thursday was announced in a statement on his official Facebook Holland, 50, was due to perform this weekend at Air Power Over Hampton Roads, a popular air show at the Virginia National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was investigating the crash of the experimental MX Aircraft MXS. Mr. Holland previously piloted the carbon-fibre, custom-built MXS-RH, a single-seater aircraft made by the same Australian company whose experimental plane was approaching the runway "for a normal landing" when the crash happened, NTSB's lead investigator Dan Boggs said at a news conference on Friday. "There was no acrobatic (sic) manoeuvres or nothing planned at that time."Jim Bourke, president of the International Aerobatic Club, said Mr Holland "revolutionized our sport, not just within the USA but on the world stage, arriving on the aerobatic competition scene like a wrecking ball laying waste to everyone who challenged him".John Cudahy, president of the International Council of Air Shows, told the Associated Press, Mr Holland "demonstrated what the end of the road for a pursuit of excellence looks like".He performed at the 2023 edition of the biennial air show at the base and won several competitions for his daring stunts in the cockpit. He won the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships a record 13 consecutive times with his last win being in 2024. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Art Scholl Award, which is presented by the International Council of Air website details a list of his 2025 appearances, including airshows in Chicago, Milwaukee and Gold Coast, Holland was from New Hampshire and was a teenager when he first qualified as a pilot, according to his website. He also studied aviation at a now-defunct New Hampshire college."Even with an absolutely impressive list of accomplishments, both in classical competition aerobatics and within the air show world, Rob was the most humble person with a singular goal to simply be better than he was yesterday," the Facebook statement air show this weekend is expected to draw over 100,000 visitors, the air base said a day before the crash.
