Accident Aerovodochody L-29 DELFIN N37KF,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 289209
 
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Date:Saturday 18 June 2011
Time:13:50 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic L29 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Aerovodochody L-29 DELFIN
Owner/operator:Ward Raju Mann
Registration: N37KF
MSN: 993233
Engine model:Rolls Royce 601 Viper
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Reno, Nevada -   United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Demo/Airshow/Display
Departure airport:Reno, NV (4SD)
Destination airport:Reno, NV (4SD)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
While being flown on an air race qualification/training flight, the experimental jet's engine support mount, which had been recently installed to accommodate an increased-thrust engine modification, failed to keep the engine properly aligned. The resultant misalignment resulted in jet blast being directed onto and melting a portion of the rudder support structure. Although there was no indication of the problem in flight, during the landing roll, the pilot discovered that the rudder did not function properly, and directional control had to be maintained by alternate means. During the investigation, it was determined that five other racing airplanes of the same make and model had been modified in a similar manner and that there were slight structural variations and areas of poor welding associated with some of the mounts.

As a result of this accident, the manufacturer of the engine modification instituted a program to obtain an independent professional engineering analysis of the engine mount design. Later, in response to another accident, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued Safety Recommendation A-12-13, which asked the Reno Air Race Association (RARA) to require aircraft owners to provide an engineering evaluation for aircraft with any major modification. On August 27, 2012, pending receipt of further information showing that the process proposed by RARA specifically requires an owner of an aircraft with a major modification to provide an engineering evaluation that includes flight demonstrations and analysis within the anticipated flight envelope, the NTSB classified the recommendation Open-Acceptable Response.

Probable Cause: The failure of a modified engine mount to keep the engine properly aligned, which resulted in partial failure of the rudder support structure due to the deflection of the jet engine exhaust.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: WPR11LA265
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 4 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB WPR11LA265

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
05-Oct-2022 11:04 ASN Update Bot Added

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