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19980831045059A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtrty Taylortitch · Lock Haven, PA · August 31, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 31, 1998 · 13:30 local
Place
Lock Haven, PA
Airport
William T Piper Memorial Airport
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1924S
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC98LA175
Reported as
Amtrty Taylortitch
Reported engine
Continental A75*
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
5,765 total4 in this make and model28 in the last 90 days
N1924SRegistration cancelled Oct 26, 1999 · Stubler L S TAYLOR TITCH MK-1S/N 001Airframe modelStubler L S TAYLOR TITCH MK-1

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.

(.4) The purpose of the flight was to evaluate the flight characteristics of the airplane. While conducting the evaluation flight, the pilot noticed a high engine oil temperature, so he aborted the flight, spiraled the airplane down, and entered a right base. While on final, and over the runway at an indicated airspeed of 60 knots, the pilot elected to configure the airplane with full flaps. While flying the airplane with his right hand, the pilot reached across the cockpit with his left hand, grabbed the flap handle and initiated full flaps. The next thing the pilot knew, the airplane was right wing low and the sink rate exceeded normal. The right wing impacted the ground, separated, and the airplane skidded down the runway inverted to a stop. (-23) upon landing, the pilot had the aircraft in a right bank to line up with the runway. The pilot reached to make a flap adjustment with his left hand, bumping his right hand which was on the control stick, causing the right wing to dip and contact the runway. The right wing broke off, the aircraft struck the runway, became inverted, and slid 175 feet to a stop. The pilot exited the aircraft with minor injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO EVALUATE THE FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AIRPLANE. WHILE CONDUCTING THE EVALUATION FLIGHT, THE PILOT NOTICED A HIGH ENGINE OIL TEMPERATURE, SO HE ABORTED THE FLIGHT, SPIRALED THE AIRPLANE DOWN, AND ENTERED A RIGHT BASE. WHILE ON FINAL, AND OVER THE RUNWAY AT AN INDICATED AIRSPEED OF 60 KNOTS, THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONFIGURE THE AIRPLANE WITH FULL FLAPS. WHILE FLYING THE AIRPLANE WITH HIS RIGHT HAND, THE PILOT REACHED ACROSS THE COCKPIT WITH HIS LEFT HAND, GRABBED THE FLAP HANDLE AND INITIATED FULL FLAPS. THE NEXT THING THE PILOT KNEW, THE AIRPLANE WAS RIGHT WING LOW AND THE SINK RATE EXCEEDED NORMAL. THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED THE GROUND, SEPARATED, AND THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED DOWN THE RUNWAY INVERTED TO A STOP. (-23) UPON LANDING, THE PILOT HAD THE AIRCRAFT IN A RIGHT BANK TO LINE UP WITH THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT REACHED TO MAKE A FLAP ADJUSTMENT WITH HIS LEFT HAND, BUMPING HIS RIGHT HAND WHICH WAS ON THE CONTROL STICK, CAUSING THE RIGHT WING TO DIP AND CONTACT THE RUNWAY. THE RIGHT WING BROKE OFF, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE RUNWAY, BECAME INVERTED, AND SLID 175 FEET TO A STOP. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH MINOR INJURIES.

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 NYC98LA175Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLock Haven, PAThe pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane. A factor in the accident was the pilot's decision to use his left hand to actuate the flap handle located on the right side of the cockpit, while on final and over the runway.Aug 31, 1998 · Substantial damage