Accident Chappel RATSREPUS 300 N889HC,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 41293
 
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Date:Wednesday 25 May 1988
Time:15:07
Type:Chappel RATSREPUS 300
Owner/operator:private
Registration: N889HC
MSN: 2
Total airframe hrs:4 hours
Engine model:LYCOMING IO-540-K1A5
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Pontiac, MI -   United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Pontiac, MI (PTK)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
THE PILOT WAS TESTING THIS EXPERIMENTAL ACROBATIC AIRCRAFT, MAKING A SECOND LOW PASS OVER THE RUNWAY WHEN A PORTION OF THE LEFT WING SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, FOLLOWED BY LOSS OF THE LEFT AILERON, 1 1/2 ROLLS TO THE LEFT AND GROUND IMPACT. THE AIRFRAME TOTAL TIME WAS 4 HOURS. ON-SCENE INSPECTION REVEALED NO MASS BALANCE IN THE AILERONS. WITNESSES ESTIMATE SPEEDS AT OR ABOVE 150 MPH. A DESIGNATED ENGINEERING REPRESENTATIVE IN THE AREA OF FLUTTER AND VIBRATION STATED HE HAD RECOMMENDED THAT THE AIRSPEED BE LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 135 MPH UNTIL GROUND VIBRATION TESTS WERE CONDUCTED. CAUSE: DESTRUCTIVE WING/AILERON FLUTTER IS SUSPECTED, BUT NOT SUFFICIENTLY SUBSTANTIATED THROUGH RESEARCH AND CALCULATIONS TO BE CITED AS THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT.

Sources:

NTSB: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001213X25637

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]

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