19970720018899A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtrlb Aerobat · Brownsville, TX · July 20, 1997

Date: July 20, 1997 · 07:28 local
Place: Brownsville, TX
Airport: Brownsville-South Padre International
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N17638
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW97LA275
Reported as: Amtrlb Aerobat
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 580 total

N17638Registration cancelled Nov 26, 2014 · Eichman Ellis V AEROBAT IIIS/N 1003 · Built 1985 Airframe modelEichman Ellis V AEROBAT III Engine modelHirth F20Reciprocating

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.

First test flight lifted porpoised lifted. Rolled. Impacted inverted. (-23) on July 20, 1997, aircraft 17638, mode aerobatt iii, owned, built and operated by ellis v. eichman, attempted to depart from teh Brownsville airport. The aircraft attempted to take off, but came down hard on the tail wheel after reaching an approximate altitude of 20 to 30 feet. The pilot attempted to take off again. The aircraft began to porpoise. This time the aircraft reached an approximate altitude of 50 feet and performed a snap roll. The aircraft landed inverted on the runway. There was no fire, but the pilot was fatally injured in the crash. The aircraft was substantially damaged. NTSB has not issued a cause of the crash. This office considers this accident closed.

As the FAA filed it

FIRST TEST FLIGHT LIFTED PORPOISED LIFTED. ROLLED. IMPACTED INVERTED. (-23) ON JULY 20, 1997, AIRCRAFT 17638, MODE AEROBATT III, OWNED, BUILT AND OPERATED BY ELLIS V. EICHMAN, ATTEMPTED TO DEPART FROM TEH BROWNSVILLE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFF, BUT CAME DOWN HARD ON THE TAIL WHEEL AFTER REACHING AN APPROXIMATE ALTITUDE OF 20 TO 30 FEET. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFF AGAIN. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO PORPOISE. THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT REACHED AN APPROXIMATE ALTITUDE OF 50 FEET AND PERFORMED A SNAP ROLL. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED INVERTED ON THE RUNWAY. THERE WAS NO FIRE, BUT THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED IN THE CRASH. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. NTSB HAS NOT ISSUED A CAUSE OF THE CRASH. THIS OFFICE CONSIDERS THIS ACCIDENT CLOSED.

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 FTW97LA275Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportBrownsville, TXinadequate design by the pilot/builder/designer. Related factors were: the porpoise that was encountered by the pilot during the takeoff, and the subsequent jammed rudder.Jul 20, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N17638 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19870802055579IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · San Benito, TXLeft main gear collapsed during taxi run due to side load on gear. Gusty winds.Aug 2, 1987 · Minor damage