Nancy Lynn - Culpeper Airfest Crash

Culpeper Airfest Crash

On October 14, 2006, Nancy Lynn was flying her Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH 300 in the Culpeper Airfest at the Culpeper Regional Airport (CJR), Culpeper, Virginia. The only female pilot in the show, Lynn had been flying for approximately 6 to 7 minutes when her plane crashed alongside Runway 22. The crash created a 950 foot path, which ended 50 feet from the edge of the runway. At the time of the crash, Lynn was reportedly flying a series of flat spins, during which the left wingtip struck the ground. The aircraft was sent over an embankment, landing upside down and on fire. Rescue crews, along with Lynn's son Pete who had been narrating her flight, rushed to the scene and were able to cut Lynn from the badly damaged and burned aircraft. Lynn was flown to a local hospital with burns covering 90% of her body. She was pronounced dead later that same night.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)'s investigation showed that the propeller had been shattered on impact, but no evidence of mechanical engine failure existed. Witnesses and video footage of the accident indicated Lynn was flying at a constant engine power throughout the maneuver and subsequent accident sequence. Lynn's son Pete has stated she simply flew too low and was unable to pull out of the maneuver. The NTSB later issued a determination which stated the probable cause as "the pilot’s disorientation while performing an aerobatic maneuver, which resulted in the airplane’s inadvertent impact with the ground. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s overuse of prescription medication."

The following year, in October 2007, Culpeper County’s Air Fest was held in memory of Lynn, with the show's theme billed as "A tribute to Nancy Lynn".