Mark Dusenberry 1905 Wright Flyer III October 1, 2009

Posted By on November 1, 2009

1905 Wright Flyer III

Reposting — Bob Luken (EAA284 President):

On October 1, 2009 Mark Dusenberry was engaging in practice flights in preparation for the 104th commemorative celebration of the Wright Brothers demonstration of the first practical aircraft, their 1095 Model III Flyer. Mark completed one successful flight in the morning.

During his second flight of the day the aircraft began a series of pitch oscillations, finally striking the ground in a nose down attitude. In the 1905 Flyer the pilot is not strapped in. He lies on the lower wing. Photos of the impact clearly show Mark sliding forward on the wing.

Mark sustained significant injuries in the crash. He was taken to Miami Valley Hospital by Care Flight. Initially, he was listed in critical condition. He underwent two surgeries that night. His condition subsequently improved. He has been transferred to a hospital in Cleveland to be closer to family and to continue a rehabilitation program. The last report I received indicated that he had no feeling below the waist.

As a result of his injuries Mark will have a long period of rehabilitation and will incur large medical bills, not covered by insurance. Donations can be sent to Mark’s sister Lori. Checks should be made payable to The Citizens Bank. On the memo line indicate “Mark Dusenberry” Checks can be mailed to Mark’s sister, Lori at the following address.

Mark Dusenberry
c/o Lori Golec-Judy
121 E. 13th St
Dover, OH 44622

At the November 8th EAA284 chapter meeting we will show a video of Mark’s successful flight, preparations for the second flight as well as footage of the crash. There will be some discussion of the problems the Wright encountered with pitch instability, as well as the measures they too to solve this problem.

1905 Wright Flyer III accident

NTSB Identification: CEN10LA001
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, October 01, 2009 in Dayton, OH
Aircraft: DUSENBERRY MARK J 1905 WRIGHT FLYER, registration: N3635N
Injuries: 1 Serious.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On October 1, 2009, at 1100 eastern daylight time, an experimental 1905 Wright Flyer, collided with the terrain following a loss of control shortly after taking off from the Huffman Prairie Flying Field at the Wright-Patterson AFB (FFO), Dayton, Ohio. The pilot received serious injuries. The airplane received substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and elevator. The flight was being operated under Title 14 code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated just prior to the accident.

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