Aircraft accidents, light sport aircraft accidents, ultralight aircraft accidents, experimental aircraft accidents, report 1

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Aircraft- Challenger

Synopsis

The microlight aircraft was attempting to take off when a portion of the propeller detached. The aircraft became airborne and started to vibrate badly. The pilot attempted to turn back to the airfield. The aircraft crashed into rough gorse at the end of the runway. Investigation revealed that the fuel tank cap had come loose on take off and parted from its restraining chain. It passed through the propeller disc, removing a small piece of the propeller. This set up a power-plant vibration, which caused the engine air filter to work loose, and it passed through the propeller, removing a larger piece. The resulting severe vibration caused the aircraft to become uncontrollable at a height of about 80 feet.

Vector 610

Synopsis

While descending into Kinloch, the aircraft entered an uncommanded roll to the right. The pilot attempted to correct the roll but without effect. A steep nose-down spiralling descent followed, and the aircraft entered thick scrub 5 to 8 seconds after theinitial roll. The aircraft pitched nose down at initial impact with the scrub canopy and struck the ground in a past-the-vertical attitude. The webbing stitching on the restraint harness failed, and the pilot was thrown forward, suffering severe facial injuries. A structural examination of the aircraft was performed, and it was determined to be serviceable prior to impact. The engine was operating normally up to the time of impact. The area in the immediate vicinity of the accident site is quite rugged. It has been known to be associated with severe turbulence, although on this day the pilot reported that the wind was calm.

Aircraft: ROTEC RALLY 3,

Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

Incident report:

THIS AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT WAS BEING FLOWN AT 200 FEET AGL ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A SOFT FIELD AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER. THE ENGINE QUIT BECAUSE THE FUEL CAP WAS NOT VENTED. THE CAP WAS SUPPLIED WITH THE KIT BY ROTEX ENGINEERING,INC. AND PRODUCED BY KELCH CORP OF MEGUON,WI, THE CAP WAS LISTED AS VENTED. ON THIS FLIGHT THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK PARTIALLY COLLAPSED DURING THE 20 MINUTE FLIGHT. ALL PREVIOUS FLIGHTS IN THIS AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN OF 15 OR LESS MINUTES WITH NO PROBLEMS IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE 4 OWNERS OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD NEVER CHEKCED TO SER IF THE CAP WAS VENTING PROPERLY.

Probable Cause

Fuel system cap improperly vented
Proper altitude, noot maintained..Pilot in command
Maintenance, inspection of aircraft..Inadequate..

Contributing Factors, terrain condition to soft for proper landing

Aircraft: ROTEC RALLY 3,

Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 Uninjured.

THE 2 PLACE ULTRALIGHT ACFT WAS ON FINAL APCH TO LAND WHEN THE PROPELLER BEGAN TO FREEWHEEL ON THE PROPELLER SHAFT. THE ENG CONTINUED TO OPERATE & RESPOND TO THROTTLE INPUTS, BUT THE PROPELLER DID NOT PRODUCE THRUST. THE ULTRALIGHT BEGAN TO LOSE ALTITUDE RAPIDLY & THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE ARPT. DURING A FORCED LANDING, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH SWAMP ADLER TREES. REPORTEDLY, THE CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH DRUM, WHICH CONNECTED THE PROPELLER TO THE ENG, WAS INSTALLED USING THE PROPER BONDING COMPOUND. THE SLIPPAGE OCCURRED ON THE REDUCTION DRIVE ASSEMBLY.

Probable Cause:Reduction gear assy failure.

Aircraft: EIPPER QUICKSILVER MX II, registration: N242KH
Injuries: 2 Minor.

THE PLT REPORTED THAT WHILE HE WAS DEMONSTRATING A STALL, THE ENG LOST POWER & WOULD NOT RECOVER. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE LANDED IN A MARSH & THE ULTRALIGHT ACFT NOSED OVER. DURING AN EXAM, WATER WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR & FUEL PUMP. THE FUEL TANK CAP WAS REPORTEDLY BROKEN & A RAG HAD BEEN STUFFED IN THE "CAP." ALSO, THE REAR SPARK PLUG WAS SOOTY & THE FRONT SPARK PLUG CONTAINED AN OILY CARBON DEPOSIT. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A LOOSE TERMINAL ON THE GROUND WIRE FOR THE COIL TO THE REAR CYLINDER. WATER WAS REMOVED FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM & THE ENG WAS STARTED & OPERATED NORMALLY.

Probable Cause:Water entered the fuel system
Aircraft preflight..Inadequate..Contributing Factors

Maintenance..Improper.
Fuel system,cap..Failure,total
Operation with known deficiencies in equipment

Aircraft: INTL ULTRALIGHT BANSHEE, registration: NONE
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

REPORTEDLY, THE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE WAS ASSEMBLED AT AN ABANDONED ARPT, THEN WAS TEST FLOWN BY AN INTERNATIONAL ULTRALIGHT COMPANY SALESMAN. THE NON-RATED PLT, WHO WAS PLANNING TO BUY THE ULTRALIGHT, THEN FLEW THE VEHICLE TO FAMILIARIZE HIMSELF WITH ITS FLT CHARACTERISTICS. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT AFTER FLYING A SHORT TIME, THE PLT STARTED AN APCH TO LAND. WHEN THE ULTRALIGHT WAS ABOUT 50 TO 60 FT AGL, A WING FOLDED & THE VEHICLE CRASHED & BURNED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A STRUCTURAL CABLE HAD FAILED AT A SWEDGE FITTING. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF NON-UNIFORM CRIMPING OF THE SWEDGE FITTING. TWO TYPES OF FRACTURES WERE FOUND WHERE THE CABLE FAILED (SHEAR & DUCTILE). THE SHEAR FAILURE WAS PREDOMINANTLY LOCATED AT THE SURFACE OF 1 BUNDLE OF WIRE STRANDS AT THE SWEDGE FITTING. THE DUCTILE FRACTURES WERE NOTED ON THE REMAINING INTERNAL STRANDS. THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK WAS INSTALLED ABOVE THE PLT. ON IMPACT, IT RUPTURED & SPILLED FUEL ON THE PLT & HOT ENG. THE PLT RECEIVED FATAL BURNS; ULTRALIGHT WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE.

Aircraft: BARNSTORMER 1, registration: NONE
Injuries: 1 Serious.

DURING TAKEOFF, THE RIGHT WING COLLAPSED WHEN THE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE WAS CLIMBING THRU APRX 100 FT AGL. AN INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THAT THE RIGHT WING SPAR FAILED ALLOWING THE SECTION, OUTBOARD OF THE STRUT ATTACH POINT, TO FOLD UPWARD.

Aircraft: AIRMASS SUNBURST MODEL B, registration: NONE
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

THE PLT WAS EN ROUTE FROM AYDEN, NC, WHERE HE PURCHASED THE ULTRALIGHT, TO HIS HOME IN HAVELOCK, NC. WHILE EN ROUTE, HE HAD LANDED AT ERNUL, NC TO REFUEL. AFTER REFUELING, HE TOOK OFF, CIRCLED BACK OVER THE FIELD, THEN ADDED POWER & BEGAN TO CLIMB. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE LEFT WING FOLDED UP FROM THE ROOT, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ULTRALIGHT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A STEEP NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT BOTH LEFT WING FLYING WIRES (CABLES) HAD SEPARATED WHERE THEY WERE ROUTED OVER THIMBLES FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE HANG CAGE. THE NICOPRESS SLEEVE (SWEDGE FITTING) ON ONE OF THE CABLES HAD BEEN INSTALLED OVER THE PLASTIC COATING ON THE CABLE, RATHER THAN DIRECTLY ON THE CABLE.

Aircraft: VECTOR 610, registration: NONE
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

ON 4/18/83, THE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED BY HIGH WINDS. THIS NECESSITATED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT & REAR SPARS AS WELL AS THE BATTENS WHICH PROVIDED CURVATURE TO THE UPPER WING SURFACE. PRIOR TO A TEST FLT, A WEIGHTED TAIL WHEEL WAS ALSO INSTALLED. SUBSEQUENTLY, A TEST PLT TOOK OFF TO EVALUATE THE ULTRALIGHT. WITNESSES OBSERVED THAT THE PLT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 1000 FT, THEN BEGAN A SERIES OF MANEUVERS. WHILE PERFORMING A MANEUVER, SIMILAR TO A LAZY 8, WITH BANK ANGLES UP TO 60 TO 90 DEG, THE ULTRALIGHT'S LEFT WING FOLDED. THE VEHICLE THEN ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT & CRASHED. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE AFT SPAR TIP HAD ROTATED AROUND THE AFT SPAR IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THE OUTBOARD WING PANEL HAD BENT DOWN & REARWARD. HOLES HAD NOT BEEN DRILLED & STEEL POP RIVETS HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED, PER INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS, TO PREVENT THE SPAR TIP FROM ROTATING. ALSO, THE PLT'S BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS FOUND TO BE 95 MG%. THE TEST PLT ALSO PERFORMED MAINTENANCE ON THE ULTRALIGHT.

Probable Cause

Wing,wingtip..Loose
Maintenance,major repair..Improper..Pilot in command
Maintenance,inspection of aircraft..Inadequate..Pilot in

Aircraft: AMERICAN AEROLIGHTS EAGLE-2, registration: NONE
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

AFTER TAKING OFF FROM A GRASS FIELD, THE 2 PLACE, ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE REMAINED IN A NORMAL RIGHT TRAFFIC PATTERN. AS THE VEHICLE WAS ON A BASE LEG FOR LANDING, WITNESSES SAW THE RIGHT WING TRAILING EDGE AREA FLUTTER, THEN THE RIGHT WING DROPPED & THE ULTRALIGHT SPIRALED NOSE DOWN & CRASHED. AN EXAM OF THE AIRFRAME REVEALED A RIP FROM THE RIGHT REAR INBOARD SAIL AREA. THE RIP ORIGINATED NEAR THE GROMMET & SEAM. ALONG THE 1ST 16 1/2 INCHES OF THE RIP, FROM THE REAR FORWARD, THE THREADS OF THE FABRIC WERE FOUND TO BE FEATHERED. PREVIOUSLY, THE MANUFACTURER HAD RECOMMENDED A MODIFICATION TO THE LEADING EDGE CANARD & THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE SAIL. HOWEVER, THE MODIFICATION WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED. THE MODIFICATION TO PREVENT A PROBLEM WITH TORN SAILS CONSISTED OF 2 STRIPS OF BASTING & GROMMETS TO REINFORCE THE WING TRAILING EDGE AT THE INBOARD AREAS.

Aircraft: AIRMASS SUNBURST, registration: NONE
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

THE ULTRALIGHT HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN TO TACOMA WITH 2 PHANTOM ULTRALIGHTS IN PREPARATION FOR THE AIRSHOW. DURING DESCENT THE 3 ACFT HAD REACHED SPEEDS OF 75-80 MPH. AFTER LANDING, ONE OF PHANTOM PLTS ASKED THE SUNBURST PLT IF HE KNEW HOW FAST HE WAS GOING AND HE ANSWERED "...NO,NOT REALLY..." THE SUNBURST WAS EQUIPPED WITH A GRADUATED PLASTIC TUBE WITH A MOVABLE FLOAT TO INDICATE AIRSPEED. THE TOP MARK IS "55." DURING THE AIRSHOW WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT STARTING A DESCENDING LEFT TURN, THEN SUDDENLY "JERKED" TO THE RIGHT, PITCHING UP ABOUT 10 DEG. THE RIGHT WING WENT BACKWARDS, THEN BOTH WINGS ROTATED UPWARDS. THE LEFT WING FRONT SPAR WAS FOUND PULLED OUTWARD FROM THE BOLT & ALUMINUM SPACER. THE RIGHT WING REAR SPAR WAS SEPARATED FROM THE BOLT & BRACKET. THE RIGHT WING FLYING CABLES SEPARATED AT THE RIGHT REAR CARRY THROUGH ATTACHMENT POINT. THE PLTS BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS 0.05%.

Aircraft: CGS AVIATION, INC. HAWK, registration: NONE
Injuries: 1 Serious.

AFTER BEING ASSEMBLED, THE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE WAS TAXI TESTED, AND ON 9/19/83, IT WAS FLOWN ON ITS 1ST FLT. THE NEXT MORNING IT WAS TAXI TESTED AGAIN. AT APRX 0855 PDT, THE PLT TOOK OFF ON A LOCAL FLT. AT APRX 0945, AFTER MAKING A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING, THE PLT WAS TURNING FINAL FOR ANOTHER LANDING WHEN THE ULTRALIGHT BEGAN AN UNCOMMANDED, SMOOTH, LEFT ROLL AT ABOUT 200 TO 300 FT AGL. CORRECTIVE AILERON WAS APPLIED, BUT THE ULTRALIGHT CONTINUED TO ROLL LEFT & SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. AN EXAM REVEALED THERE WAS CONTINUITY TO ALL FLT CONTROLS. BOTH WINGS & THE FUSELAGE TUBE WERE DAMAGED DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE LEFT WING TRAILING EDGE TUBE HAD FAILED AT A BOLT HOLE WHERE THE LEFT REAR STRUT BRACKETS WERE INSTALLED. ADDITIONAL WASHERS HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON THE BOLT & THE SELF LOCKING NUT HAD BEEN TORQUED UNTIL THE THREADS ON THE NUT WERE BEYOND THE THREADED PORTION OF THE BOLT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE REAR SPAR HAD SEPARATED & THE BOLT HAD ROTATED APRX 20 DEG PRIOR TO IMPACT. NO AIRSPEED IND INSTALLED.

Aircraft: TERATORN ACFT INC. TIERRA II, registration: UN
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

THE PLT HAD FLOWN FROM CALLAWAY TO LEXINGTON, NE, EARLIER IN THE DAY. AFTER A SHORT VISIT, HE DEPARTED ON A RETURN FLT. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED WHEN THE ACFT DID NOT RETURN. ABOUT 5 HRS AFTER THE ESTIMATED TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE ACFT WAS FOUND WHERE IT HAD CRASHED ON ROLLING TERRAIN. SEARCH PERSONNEL REPORTED THERE WAS SNOW ON THE WRECKAGE WHEN IT WAS FOUND. AT KEARNEY & GRAND ISLAND, NE, REDUCED CEILINGS & VISIBILITIES WITH SNOW & FOG WERE REPORTED NEAR THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE ACFT HAD CRASHED ON 3 DEG DOWNWARD SLOPING TERRAIN IN A WINGS LEVEL, SLIGHTLY NOSE LOW ATTITUDE, ON A HEADING OF 335 DEG. THE DESTINATION ARPT WAS LOCATED ABOUT 31 MI SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE DEPARTURE POINT. THE ACFT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED AS AN ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE WITH AN EMPTY WT OF 350 LBS. HOWEVER, IT WAS BUILT WITH LARGER TIRES & HAD A 6 GAL FUEL TANK INSTALLED.

Aircraft: JERRY D. FISH DRIFTER, registration: N5150J
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

DURING FLT, THE PLT WAS PERFORMING AEROBATICS & DID A SERIES OF LOOPS. WHILE MANEUVERING, THE LEFT WING FOLDED UPWARD & THE ACFT, AN EXPERIMENTAL ULTRALIGHT, ENTERED A DESCENT & CRASHED. AN EXAM REVEALED THAT THE LEFT WING HAD FOLDED OVER THE ENG. EVIDENCE WAS FOUND THAT A WING BRACING CABLE HAD FAILED FROM OVERLOAD & THAT CABLES HAD BECOME WRAPPED IN THE PROP. NO PRE-ACCIDENT PART FAILURE WAS FOUND. AN FAA TOXICOLOGICAL TEST OF THE PLT'S BLOOD SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.145%.

Aircraft: EIPPER QUICKSILVER MX, registration: NONE
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

THE ULTRALIGHT PILOT HAD BEEN PRACTICING MANEUVERS THAT WEREDESCRIBED AS WHIP STALLS WHICH WERE NOT TAUGHT OR AUTHORIZED BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE 'G' FORCES IMPOSED. AN INSTRUCTOR CHECKED HIS MACHINE AND WARNED HIM OF THE DANGERS ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PLT SAID HE UNDERSTOOD AND WOULD 'WATCH IT'. LATER THAT DAY HE PRACTICED SIMILAR MANEUVERS AGAIN AND THE LEFT WING

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