N29MD

On April 12, 2003, at 1200 eastern standard time, an amateur-built McBride Avid Flyer, N29MD, sustained substantial damage during landing rollout when the airplane nosed over in a ditch at the Anderson Municipal Airport (AID), Anderson, Indiana. The private pilot was not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 test flight departed Marion Municipal Airport (MZZ), Marion, Indiana, about 1100. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

The pilot reported he was conducting a series of high speed taxi tests. He reported, "On the third run, I continued to 'fast taxi' and I suddenly found myself off the ground and in an unstable position." He reported he did not intend to takeoff. Once airborne, the pilot decided, "It would be prudent to familiarize myself with the aircraft as best as I could before I attempted to land." The pilot reported he practiced flying the airplane for about an hour before he attempted to land.

He reported that he decided to land on the grass adjacent to runway 36 at AID. He reported, "The rollout was smooth, but my speed was excessive and I knew I would not be able to stop the aircraft before I came to the threshold lights." The pilot steered the airplane away from the threshold lights, but the airplane went into a ditch and nosed over.