Jan. 23, Grafton, W.V. / Tailwind DN-1

At about 16:30 eastern time, a homebuilt Tailwind DN-1 crashed while maneuvering near Grafton. The pilot was killed. The operator said the pilot started the engine, then topped off the 24-gallon fuel tank while the engine was running. The pilot then performed two takeoffs and landings, which took about 20 minutes. He then let the airplane engine idle on the ground for about 20 minutes while he prepared for a cross-country flight. The pilot departed about 14:00. The operator estimated that the airplane burned about 6 gallons per hour. The wreckage was located Jan. 27 in a wooded area about 1.5 miles southeast of Rock Lake. No fuel was present in the tanks, fuel lines or carburetor.