ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 39193
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Friday 22 November 1991 |
| Time: | 11:24 LT |
| Type: | Avid Amphibian |
| Owner/operator: | James Speyer |
| Registration: | N118A |
| MSN: | 6 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3 hours |
| Engine model: | ROTAX 582 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | San Ysidro, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | San Diego, CA (KSDM) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS CONDUCTING FLIGHT TESTS ON A NEWLY MANUFACTURED EXPERIMENTAL, AMATEUR BUILT AIRPLANE. WHILE ORBITING OVER AN AIRPORT, THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND WAS OBSERVED DESCENDING IN A LEFT SPIRALLING DIVE. THE LEFT FLAPERON AND LEFT WING SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE PILOT, WHO WAS WEARING A PARACHUTE, ATTEMPTED TO BAIL OUT OF THE AIRPLANE AT LOW ALTITUDE. THE PARACHUTE FAILED TO SUFFICIENTLY OPEN DUE TO THE LOW ALTITUDE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE SEPARATED FLAPERON DISCLOSED CYCLIC OVERLOAD AND OVERTRAVEL ATTRIBUTED TO FLUTTER. FLAPERON COUNTER WEIGHTS WERE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER TO PREVENT FLUTTER. THE PILOT ELECTED NOT TO INSTALL THE COUNTER WEIGHTS BECAUSE IT WOULD IMPOSE AN ADDITION OF WEIGHT, AND THE PILOT FELT THAT THEY WERE NOT NEEDED.
Probable Cause: FAILURE OF THE PILOT/BUILDER TO FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED AIRFRAME MODIFICATION PROCEDURE TO PREVENT THE INFLIGHT LOSS OF A FLAPERON DUE TO FLUTTER. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS IN INFLIGHT SEPARATION OF THE WING WHEN THE DESIGN LIMITS OF THE AIRFRAME WERE EXCEEDED.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX92LA050
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 11-Apr-2024 11:08 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation