US aircraft designer and pilot Lars Giertz was killed during the maiden flight of the VmaxPROBE single-seater. Giertz had been hoping to fly the aircraft in an attempt to break the Federation Aéronautique International speed record (for aircraft weighing less that 500kg). Giertz began building the aircraft in 1990. After a catalogue of design faults with the first prototype, a redesigned VmaxPROBE was rolled out in February 1997. The experimental aircraft crashed near Houston, Texas in late June.
Source: Flight International
