Accident Rutan VariEze N3769D,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 41232
 
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Date:Sunday 6 March 1994
Time:17:08 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic VEZE model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Rutan VariEze
Owner/operator:Brady, Benny F.
Registration: N3769D
MSN: 1993
Engine model:CONTINENTAL O-200A
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Oxford, MS -   United States of America
Phase: Initial climb
Nature:Private
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER REASSEMBLY FOLLOWING REPAIRS AND MODIFICATIONS. AFTER TAKEOFF WHEN THE FLIGHT WAS 15-20 FEET OVER THE RUNWAY WITH RUNWAY REMAINING, WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE OSCILLATE AROUND THE LATERAL AXIS. THE PILOT CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF AND BANKED LEFT DURING WHICH THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN TO PITCH NOSE UP AND DOWN WHICH COINCIDED RESPECTIVELY WITH ADDING AND REDUCING POWER. THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 120-150 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AND WAS SEEN TO BANK TO THE LEFT ABOUT 90 DEGREES AFTER WHICH THE AIRPLANE PITCHED NOSE DOWN AND IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 45 DEGREES NOSE LOW. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY POST CRASH FIRE. FLIGHT CONTROL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF INTERNAL MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE CARBURETOR AND MAGNETOS WERE DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THE PILOT'S FLIGHT TIME WAS NOT ACCURATELY DETERMINED. THE PILOT DID NOT PERFORM LOW OR HIGH SPEED TAXI TESTS BEFORE THE FIRST FLIGHT.

Probable Cause: POOR PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND FOR FAILURE TO PERFORM HIGH AND LOW SPEED TAXI TESTS BEFORE THE FLIGHT AFTER REPAIRS AND MODIFICATION OF THE AIRPLANE. ADDITIONALLY, FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB OVER THE RUNWAY DUE TO PITCH OSCILLATIONS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES. ALSO, FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED, INADVERTENT STALL/MUSH, AND ALTITUDE INADEQUATE FOR RECOVERY FROM THE INADVERTENT STALL/MUSH.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: MIA94FA085
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 9 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB MIA94FA085

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:23 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
10-Apr-2024 08:35 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]

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