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19970502007729A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr TALON XP · Redmond, OR · May 2, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 2, 1997 · 15:15 local
Place
Redmond, OR
Airport
Cline Falls
Phase of flight
In Traffic Pattern-Circling
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6291X
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA97LA096
Reported as
Amtr Talonxp
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX582
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
148 total30 in the last 90 days
N6291XRegistration cancelled Jan 6, 2024 · Hendrix Robert A TALON XPS/N 115XP · Built 1994Airframe modelHendrix Robert A TALON XPEngine modelRotax SEE BOMBADIERReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Control stick broke off, lost altitude, deployed aircraft parachute, landed in a field near the runway. (.4) the owner/builder (pilot) of the kitplane had accrued approximately 70 hours of operating time on the aircraft. During a flight, he began to lose aileron control. Shortly after entering downwind for landing, all aileron and elevator control were lost, and the pilot actuated the aircraft's ballistic parachute. Postcrash examination revealed that the pilot had installed only the forward control stick and torque tube, and had not installed either the rear flight control stick nor the interlink tube. This absence resulted in a structurally weakened control system and subsequent disconnect of the forward flight control stick from the torque tube in torsional overload. There was no caution note within the kitplane assembly instructions advising the builder that failure to install either the aft control stick and/or interlink tube would result in a compromise of the structural integrity of the fore and aft stick, torque tube and interlink tube assembly.

As the FAA filed it

CONTROL STICK BROKE OFF, LOST ALTITUDE, DEPLOYED AIRCRAFT PARACHUTE, LANDED IN A FIELD NEAR THE RUNWAY. (.4) THE OWNER/BUILDER (PILOT) OF THE KITPLANE HAD ACCRUED APPROXIMATELY 70 HOURS OF OPERATING TIME ON THE AIRCRAFT. DURING A FLIGHT, HE BEGAN TO LOSE AILERON CONTROL. SHORTLY AFTER ENTERING DOWNWIND FOR LANDING, ALL AILERON AND ELEVATOR CONTROL WERE LOST, AND THE PILOT ACTUATED THE AIRCRAFT'S BALLISTIC PARACHUTE. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT HAD INSTALLED ONLY THE FORWARD CONTROL STICK AND TORQUE TUBE, AND HAD NOT INSTALLED EITHER THE REAR FLIGHT CONTROL STICK NOR THE INTERLINK TUBE. THIS ABSENCE RESULTED IN A STRUCTURALLY WEAKENED CONTROL SYSTEM AND SUBSEQUENT DISCONNECT OF THE FORWARD FLIGHT CONTROL STICK FROM THE TORQUE TUBE IN TORSIONAL OVERLOAD. THERE WAS NO CAUTION NOTE WITHIN THE KITPLANE ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS ADVISING THE BUILDER THAT FAILURE TO INSTALL EITHER THE AFT CONTROL STICK AND/OR INTERLINK TUBE WOULD RESULT IN A COMPROMISE OF THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE FORE AND AFT STICK, TORQUE TUBE AND INTERLINK TUBE ASSEMBLY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA97LA096Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportRedmond, ORincomplete installation (omission of the aft control stick and interlink tube) of the flight control system, resulting in failure of the combined (torque) elevator and aileron rod and a disconnection of the forward flight control stick from the ailerons and…May 2, 1997 · Substantial damage