Nancy Lynn
Encyclopedia
Nancy A. Lynn was born in Dayton, Ohio
. A graduate of Denison University
, entrepreneur, public speaker, actor, and pilot, Lynn is most well known for her role as an aerobatic pilot
and flight instructor
. Lynn owned and operated Lynn Aviation, an aerobatic flight school located at the Bay Bridge Airport
in Stevensville, Maryland
with her husband Scott Muntean and son Pete.
in the 1980s, and became one of the first women to hold a position as manufacturing plant manager. While still working as a plant manager, Lynn began taking commercial flight lessons in 1988 and soon discovered a passion for aerobatic flight. After a year of lessons, Lynn earned the additional rating, quit her job with Procter & Gamble, cashed in her pension plan, and bought a Pitts S-2B
aerobatic biplane
. Lynn was then one of the few women flying in air shows. At the time of her death, she was one of the 7% of all pilots who are female. In addition to her job as a flight instructor, during which she earned over three thousand hours of aerobatic flight, Lynn worked as a consultant and actor for safety videos released by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
and hosted segments of the program "Wing Tips" on Discovery Wings
. Lynn also relayed her experiences in the cockpit as a motivational speaker for children, civic groups, and businesses.
Lynn's skill as a pilot earned her a display at the International Women's Air & Space Museum. The exhibit, titled "Nancy Lynn: Inspiration Was Her Mission" covers Lynn's life and career as a female pilot and remained on display through September 2007. Lynn is also featured in Above and Beyond:100 years of Women in Aviation, an award-winning documentary produced by Art-Reach International.
, 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 spin
s, 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. Although the NTSB investigation didn't provide a cause of the accident, Lynn's son Pete has stated she simply flew too low and was unable to pull out of the maneuver.
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".
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. A graduate of Denison University
Denison University
Denison University is private, coeducational, and residential college of liberal arts and sciences founded in 1831. It is located in Granville, Ohio, United States, approximately 30 miles east of Columbus, the state capital...
, entrepreneur, public speaker, actor, and pilot, Lynn is most well known for her role as an aerobatic pilot
Aerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment and sport...
and flight instructor
Flight instructor
A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an aviator in pursuit...
. Lynn owned and operated Lynn Aviation, an aerobatic flight school located at the Bay Bridge Airport
Bay Bridge Airport
Bay Bridge Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located in Stevensville, Maryland. The airport is named for the nearby Chesapeake Bay Bridge and is mostly used for general aviation....
in Stevensville, Maryland
Stevensville, Maryland
Stevensville is a census-designated place in Queen Anne's County, Maryland, and is the county's most populous place among both CDPs and municipalities. The Stevensville Historic District is one of only two registered historic districts in the county, the other being the Centreville Historic...
with her husband Scott Muntean and son Pete.
Career
After graduating from Denison University, Lynn began working for Procter & GambleProcter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
in the 1980s, and became one of the first women to hold a position as manufacturing plant manager. While still working as a plant manager, Lynn began taking commercial flight lessons in 1988 and soon discovered a passion for aerobatic flight. After a year of lessons, Lynn earned the additional rating, quit her job with Procter & Gamble, cashed in her pension plan, and bought a Pitts S-2B
Pitts Special
The Pitts Special is a series of light aerobatic biplane designed by Curtis Pitts. It has accumulated many competition wins since its first flight in 1944...
aerobatic biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
. Lynn was then one of the few women flying in air shows. At the time of her death, she was one of the 7% of all pilots who are female. In addition to her job as a flight instructor, during which she earned over three thousand hours of aerobatic flight, Lynn worked as a consultant and actor for safety videos released by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is a Frederick, Maryland-based non-profit political organization. Incorporated on 15 May 1939, AOPA's membership consists mainly of general aviation pilots in the United States...
and hosted segments of the program "Wing Tips" on Discovery Wings
Discovery Wings
Discovery Wings was an American and British TV channel devoted to documentaries regarding aircraft and as a brand extension of Wings, a staple documentary program of the Discovery Channel throughout the 1990s...
. Lynn also relayed her experiences in the cockpit as a motivational speaker for children, civic groups, and businesses.
Lynn's skill as a pilot earned her a display at the International Women's Air & Space Museum. The exhibit, titled "Nancy Lynn: Inspiration Was Her Mission" covers Lynn's life and career as a female pilot and remained on display through September 2007. Lynn is also featured in Above and Beyond:100 years of Women in Aviation, an award-winning documentary produced by Art-Reach International.
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 Regional Airport
Culpeper Regional Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located seven nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Culpeper, a city in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. Located in Brandy Station, Virginia, the airport opened in 1968. The runway originally measured...
, Culpeper, Virginia
Culpeper, Virginia
Culpeper is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Culpeper County. Culpeper is part of the Culpeper Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Culpeper County. Both the Town of Culpeper and...
. 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 spin
Spin (flight)
In aviation, a spin is an aggravated stall resulting in autorotation about the spin axis wherein the aircraft follows a corkscrew downward path. Spins can be entered intentionally or unintentionally, from any flight attitude and from practically any airspeed—all that is required is sufficient yaw...
s, 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)
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
'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. Although the NTSB investigation didn't provide a cause of the accident, Lynn's son Pete has stated she simply flew too low and was unable to pull out of the maneuver.
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".
See also
- 2006 in aviation2006 in aviationThis is a list of aviation-related events from 2006:-January:*January 5 - Independence Air closed operations after declaring bankruptcy.*January 19 - Jet Airways announces its purchase of Air Sahara, creating the largest domestic airline in India.-February:...
- List of people who died in aviation accidents and incidents
- List of airshow accidents and incidents