Ultralight aircraft accidents, experimental aircraft accidents, light sport aircraft accident reports 2 |
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Tower: "Eastern 702, cleared for takeoff" Eastern 702: "Tower, Eastern 702 switching to departure...by the way as we lifted off we saw some kind of dead animal on the far end of the runway." Tower: "National 63 cleared for takeoff...did you copy the report from Eastern?" National 63: "Roger, Tower, cleared for takeoff... yes, we've already notified our caterers." |
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Ultralight Aircraft Accident Data report number 2 |
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Aircraft: AMER. AEROLIGHT EAGLE 2 PLC, registration: NONE THE PLT REPORTED THAT AFTER EXCHANGING THE CANARD ELEVATOR & READJUSTING THE SPOILER CONTROL TELEFLEX CABLE ROD END AT THE SPOILER BELLCRANK, HE TOOK OFF ON A TEST FLT. AFTER ABOUT 5 MIN OF FLT, THE RIGHT SPOILER FAILED TO RETRACT AFTER IT WAS USED DURING A RIGHT TURN. THE PLT TRIED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL BY APPLYING LEFT RUDDER. HE SAID THAT HE COULD STOP THE TURN WITH LEFT RUDDER APPLIED, BUT THIS CONTROL INPUT RESULTED IN THE NOSE OF THE VEHICLE PITCHING UP. WHEN HE REDUCED THE RUDDER, THE VEHICLE WOULD REENTER THE RIGHT TURN & THE NOSE WOULD DROP, PLACING THE VEHICLE IN A SPIRAL. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE CRASH LANDED ON A GOLF COURSE. AN EXAM REVEALED AN OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE THREADS OF THE TELEFLEX CABLE BELLCRANK. THE REASON FOR THE OVERLOAD WAS NOT VERIFIED. Aircraft: EIPPER QUICKSILVER MXL, registration: NONE THE PLT MADE SEVERAL TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS IN HIS NEWLY ACQUIRED ULTRA LIGHT VEHICLE. ON A SUBSQUENT FLT AT ABOUT 75 FT AGL, THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE LEFT WING FOLDED UPWARD ABOUT 90 DEGREES. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL INVERTED AND THE PLT USED FULL RUDDER AND POWER WHICH STOPPED THE ROLL, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL TURNED LEFT AND DESCENDED. THE PLT CUT THE POWER AT 15 FT AGL. THE VEHICLE HIT LEFT WING LOW, NOSE LOW AND BOUNCED ABOUT 30 FT BEFORE STOPPING. THE WING FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE FROM OVERLOAD BY AN NTSB METALLURGIST. THERE WERE RUB MARKS ON THE LEFT WING TIP OF AN UNDETERMINED NATURE. Aircraft: PTERODACTYL FLEDGLING, registration: NONE THE ULTRALIGHT WAS IN THE TAKEOFF CLIMB AT ABOUT 75 FT AGL WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. DURING THE EMERGENCY FORCED LANDING, THE ACFT LANDED HARD ON UPSLOPING TERRAIN & THE NOSE GEAR FAILED IN OVERLOAD. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT AN IGNITION WIRE WAS WORN AND HAD SHORTED TO THE ACFT FRAME. Aircraft: PIONEER FLIGHTSTAR, registration: NONE DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, IT APPEARED TO THE PLT THAT THE ENG WAS NOT DEVELOPING FULL POWER. THE ULTRALIGHT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A TACHOMETER & THE SUSPECTED LOSS OF POWER WAS BASED ON THE PLT'S ESTIMATED LIFT-OFF POINT. THE PLT FURTHER STATED THAT HE WAS WEARING A HELMET & THE ENG NOISE WAS MUFFLED MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE ENG POWER. THE TAKEOFF RUN WAS LONGER THAN NORMAL. HE CONTINUED TO CLIMB OUT & WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER ATTEMPTED TO SET UP A GLIDE. THE ULTRALIGHT STALLED WHILE THE PLT WAS AVOIDING TREES. TWO WITNESSES STATED THAT THE ENG QUIT. Aircraft: ROTEC RALLEY 2B, registration: NONE THE ULTRALIGHT WAS FLYING OVER THE LAKE AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO CUT OUT. THE PLT HAD REPORTEDLY SAID TO A FRIEND BEFORE TAKEOFF THAT THE ENGINE MAY NOT BE RIGHT BUT HE FLEW IT ANYWAY. THE ULTRALIGHT HAD BEEN FLOWN BY THE PLT 3 HOURS WITHOUT THE FLOATS. THE FLOATS HAD BEEN USED IN ONLY ONE PRIOR FLT AND WERE INSTALLED ON THE ACCIDENT DAY. THE MACHINE HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM THE LAKE SHORTLY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. AFTER THE ENGINE CUT OUT, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO NOSE DOWN AND CRASH. Aircraft: WEEDHOPPER B, registration: NONE THE ULTRALIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER WHILE THE PLT WAS IN A PRACTICE AREA. HE RETURNED TO THE ARPT, AND DURING THE ATTEMPT TO LAND, THE ACFT CRAHSED. AN INSTRUCTOR SAID THE ACFT SEEMED TO BE FLYING SLOWER THAN NORMAL AND THE PLT EXTENDED THE DOWNWIND TURN TO BASE LEG MORE THAN NORMAL. THE ACFT CRASHED ABOUT HALF A MILE FROM THE ARPT. THE CONTROL STICK WAS JAMMED IN THE FULL NOSE UP POSITION. THIS PARTICULAR ACFT WAS NOSE HEAVY BECAUSE OF THE INSTALLATION OF A LARGER ENGINE. AN EXAM OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE TWO SPARK PLUG LEADS WAS LOOSE, ALLOWING MINIMAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE LEAD & THE SPARK PLUG. Aircraft: MITCHELL WING TU-10, registration: NONE THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS FOR ONE INSTRUCTOR PLT (CFI) TO CHECK OUT THE OTHER CFI IN THE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE. REPORTEDLY, MANY WITNESSES WATCHED AS THE ACFT CLIMBED TO APRX 3000 FT AGL. THE AIRCREW THEN PERFORMED A SERIES OF ROLLS TO THE LEFT & RIGHT. THE ACFT THEN ENTERED A SPIN & CRASHED. NO EVIDENCE OF AN IN-FLT STRUCTURAL FAILURE OR POWER FAILURE WAS FOUND. ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL, AEROBATIC MANEUVERS & INTENTIONAL SPINS WERE PROHIBITED. Aircraft: LIGHT AERO,INC. (ASHLEY) AVID FLYER 1, registration:
N4919C PLT STATED HE NOTED A MOMENTARY FLUTTER IN THE RIGHT FLAPERON WHILE IN CRUISE AT 80 KTS. HE THEN HEARD A BANG AND LOOKING AT RIGHT WING, OBSERVED AT LEAST TWO OF THE OUTBOARD FLAPERON HINGE ATTACHMENTS HAD BROKEN. THE ACFT THEN ENTERED A 30-DEGREE RIGHT BANK AND DESCENDING TURN AT A DESCENT RATE OF 700-800 FPM. WHILE MANUVERING TO AVOID OBSTACLES BY USE OF LEFT RUDDER IN A FORCED LANDING ATTEMPT, PLT PULLED THE NOSE UP TO CLEAR A FENCE, THE ACFT STALLED AND MUSHED INTO A FLD NOSING OVER UPON TOUCHDOWN ON THE RIGHT WING TIP AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR. REASON FLAPERON HINGE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. Accident occurred APR-13-85 at ALTA VISTA, VA EACH TIME THE PILOT APPLIED NOSE UP PITCH CONTROL AFTER TAKE OFF, THE ACFT SETTLED BUT WOULD MAINTAIN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLIGHT WHEN THE CONTROLS WERE NEUTRALIZED. DUE TO THE SETTLING EFFECT, OBSTRUCTION CLEARANCE COULD NOT BE ATTAINED AND THE ACFT SETTLED INTO TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT WAS EJECTED WHEN THE STITCHING OF HIS LAP BELT FAILED. THE ACFT AS PREVIOUSLY FLOWN SUCCESSFULLY SEVERAL TIMES AFTER ASSEMBLY FROM THE MANUFACTURER'S KIT, BUT ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT A 150 LB SAND BAG WAS STRAPPED INTO THE RIGHT SEAT. WITH THE ADDITIONAL WEIGHT, THE SPOILER CABLES TIGHTENED AS THE WINGS PRODUCED LIFT, TO THE POINT THAT THEY INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED WITH APPLICATION OF AFT STICK. Probable Cause Aircraft: WELCH AVID FLYER, registration: N64LW THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING TAKEOFF, THE ENG SEIZED AS THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THRU ABOUT 350 FT AGL OVER THE END OF THE RWY. HE STATED THAT THE ACFT WAS IN A MAXIMUM CLIMB WHEN THE ENG SEIZED & IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO A POWER OFF STALL. HE RECOVERED FROM THE STALL, BUT THERE WERE TREES AHEAD. WHILE MANEUVERING TO AVOID THE OBSTACLES, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN IN A SKID & THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. THE ACFT HAD A 2 CYLINDER, 2 CYCLE, 43 HP ENG THAT WAS EQUIPPED WITH 2 CARBURETORS & A SINGLE IGNITION SYSTEM. AN EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED THAT THE MIXTURE FOR THE #1 CARBURETOR HAD BECOME LEAN WHICH ALLOWED THE #1 CYLINDER TO OVERHEAT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PISTON IN THE #1 CYLINDER SEIZED AS THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING AFTER TAKEOFF. Probable Cause Contributing Factors Aircraft: TERATORN TIERRA II, registration: NONE THE ACFT CONTACTED THE TERRAIN IN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT FOLLOWING AN INFLT SEPARATION OF THE LEFT WING. A WITNESS STATED THE LEFT WING SEPARATED AS THE ACFT WAS BEING MANEUVERED IN A RACE TRACK PATTERN USING BANK ANGLES OF 45 DEGS. THE WIFE OF THE ACFT OWNER REPORTED THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLT ON THE PREVIOUS DAY. THE LEFT WING AND LANDING GEAR WERE REPORTEDLY DAMAGED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE ACFT WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN REPAIRED THAT AFTERNOON. HOWEVER, NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO SUGGEST THE FABRIC ON THE WING WAS REMOVED FOR INSPECTION OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. IT WAS NOT DETERMINED IF THE FLIGHT WAS FOR PERSONAL OR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES. Probable Cause Contributing Factors Accident occurred SEP-30-85 at PRINEVILLE, OR PLT WAS ON SECOND FLT IN NEWLY COMPLETED, REGISTERED ULTRALIGHT. CRAFT HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED A CERTIFICATE OF AIRWORTHINESS. AFTER TAKEOFF, ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO CIRCLE AIRPORT, THEN DESCEND OUT OF SIGHT BEHIND TREES. INVESTIGATION SHOWED STEEEP, NOSEDOWN IMPACT. AIRFRAME DESTRUCTION PRECLUDED ESTABLISHMENT OF PRE-IMPACT STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OR ABSENCE OF CONTROL MALFUNCTOIN. NO POWER PLANT DEFECTS FOUND. PLT WAS WEARING PARACHUTE, WHICH WAS FOUND PARTIALLY DEPLOYED. NO EVIDENCE FOUND OF MEDICAL IMPAIRMENT IN 64-YR-OLD PLT. Probable Cause Aircraft: ISTVANICK ZIPPPY SPORT, registration: N39322 THE ACFT CONTACTED TREES FOLLOWING A LOSS OF PWR SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. PLT STATED HE PERFORMED 3 HIGH SPEED TAXI RUNS DURING WHICH THE ACFT AND ENG OPERATED NORMALLY. WITNESSES STATED THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE ON THE 4TH TAXI RUN, CLIMBED TO APRX 75 FT AGL AND BEGAN LOSING ALT WHEN A LEFT TURN TO DOWNWIND WAS ENTERED. INSPECTION OF THE ACFT DISCLOSED THE 2 POSITION FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS STIFF TO MOVE. REMOVAL OF THE SELECTOR VALVE REVEALED THE ROTATING SHAFT SEAL GASKET HAD DETERIORATED BLOCKING APRX 50% OF THE INLET FUEL FLOW AND APRX 60-65% OF THE OUTLET FUEL FLOW. THIS WAS THE 1ST FLT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT ACFT. Probable Cause Aircraft: ULTRALIGHT FLIGHT PHANTOM II, registration: NONE THE ULTRALIGHT DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED TO GROUND IMPACT FOLLOWING A FAILURE OF THE OUTBOARD FORWARD WING SUPPORT CABLE/SWAGE. WITNESSES REPORTED THE ULTRALIGHT TURNED FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AND UPON LEVELING OUT, THE LEFT WING SNAPPED UPWARD, THE RIGHT WING COLLAPSED AND THE ULTRALIGHT ENTERED A DIVING TURN TO THE GROUND. POST ACCIDENT TESTS DISCLOSED ALL 4 CABLE ASS'Y WERE MANUFACTURED WITH THE NICROPRESS OVAL M SLEEVE BUT WERE SWAGED WITH THE WRONG SWAGING TOOL (SLIGHTLY LARGER) FOR THE OVAL P. THE CABLE SHOWED EVIDENCE OF FAILURE AT THE NICROPRESS SWAGED CONNECTIONS. TENSILE TESTS REVEALED THE IMPROPERLY SWAGED CONNECTIONS FAILED PREMATURELY DUE TO SLIPPAGE AT THE CONNECTIONS. Probable Cause Aircraft: MORLEY AVID FLYER, registration: N318M WHILE ON A FIVE-MILE FINAL, A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED. A LOOSE RIGHT MAGNETO CONTACTING THE FLYWHEEL MAGNET AND SHORTING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS FOUND. IN AN ATTEMPT TO MISS A RIVER IN THE APPROACH PATH TO THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A 180 DEGREE TURN WHICH RESULTED IN AN APPROACH STALL. THIS AIRCRAFT HAS NO STALL WARNING AND GUSTY WINDS WERE PRESENT. Probable Cause Contributing Factors Aircraft: BAUER'S MITCHELL WING U-2, registration: N3967S THIS WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT ACFT. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE ACFT IN A STEEP RIGHT BANK WHEN THE ENG LOST POWER. THE ACFT WAS THEN SEEN TO STALL AND ENTER A RIGHT SPIN. WITNESSES SAID THE PLT RECOVERED BUT ENTERED A SECOND STALL AND DOVE STRAIGHT INTO GROUND. NO EVIDENCE OF AIRFRAME, ENG, PROP, OR FLT CONTROL MALFUNCTION/FAILURE WAS FOUND. ENG WAS LATER FUNCTIONALLY TESTED AND RAN NORMALLY. PLT HAD NEVER BEEN GIVEN INSTRUCTION IN STALL/SPIN RECOVERY. PLT HAD LOGGED 7 HRS IN ACFT AND WAS MAKING 5TH FLT WHEN ACCIDENT OCCURRED. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS COMPUTED TO BE 8157 FT MSL. Probable Cause Contributing Factors Aircraft: STAINBROOK AVID FLYER, registration: N146AF THE PIC HAD BEEN PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT A PRIVATE AIR STRIP. AT 50 FEET AGL THE PIC STATED THE ENGINE QUIT AND HE DESCENDED INTO THE GROUND OFF THE RWY. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE ENG REVEALED THAT THE PROPELLER REDUCTION GEARING HAD BROKEN AND NO THRUST WAS AVAILABLE TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF. THE PIC STATED HE HAD TROUBLE WITH THIS TYPE OF PROPELLER GEAR REDUCTION SYSTEM BEFORE. Probable Cause |
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