19980905022649A

Acft was taking off for its initial test flight when it experienced engine trouble, made hard landing on the rwy, caught fire and was destroyed.(.19) on September 5, 1998, about 1008 central daylight time, and experimental, amateur kit built glasair, N534TS, registered to a private individual, operating as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, crashed while attempting a precautionary landing to Sandy Creek airpark, Panama City, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed, and the pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated about 8 minutes before the accident. According to many witnesses, neighbors of the airpark, including a fellow pilot/builder using a hand held radio in contact with the pilot, who assembled to watch the newly finished airplane's first flight, the engine was heard to cough and sputter at about 100 feet AGL, on takeoff. The engine seemed to smooth out and the pilot was observed to enter a large left orbit at 500 to 600 feet AGL, go out of sight beyond a tree line, then reemerge to set himself up for a right base to a downwind landing. The pilot overshot the runway center line, entered a steep right turn to correct, brought the nose up to a landing attitude at about 75 feet AGL, and held that altitude until touchdown. The airplane impacted grass terrain at a high rate of descent about 40FEET left of the runway, shed its three landing gear and other parts, and slid onto the runway and burned. (.4) eye witnesses stated that during takeoff, the engine sputtered and seemed to smooth out. The pilot entered a shallow left bank, climbed to about 500 to 600 feet, AGL, disappeared from sight behind a tree line, and reemerged in a shallow right bank for a landing in the opposite direction. The pilot overshot the runway centerline, entered a steep bank to correct, and began a descent for landing while still aligning for landing. The airplane was then observed to assume the landing attitude at 50 to 75 feet, AGL, and hold that attitude until very hard touchdown left of the grass runway. The three landing gear collapsed, the wings flexed extensively, spewing fuel, and the airplane skidded up onto the runway and burned. (-23) first flight:a/c took off into 6/8 mph headwind from east/northeast. Attained 100 feet above runway when engine started popping. A/c continued o n flt and turned north at 600 feet AGL, within 3-5 minutes a/c approached east end of runway from the north. Overshooting end of runway a/c banked 45 degrees hard right lining up at a 15 degree intercept angle to the runway. At 100 feet AGL a/c fell wings/fuselage level (pancake) and contacted the ground 30 feet south of the side runway lights and 675 feet from the east approach lights. A/c bounced into the air and re-impacted the ground 45 feet from initial impact. At that point fire was noted by ground fire scarring. A/c slid an additional 36 feet coming to rest on the runway 775 feet from the eastern end and 55 feet left of center. A/c continued to burn with pilot unable to escape. Ground impact of the prop indicated the engine was not developing full power but was rotating. A/c had approximately 14 gal total of automotive fuel in wings/fuselage on takeoff. Pilot died in fire.