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20060904018379A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr T-BIRD II · Leamington, UT · September 4, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 4, 2006 · 12:00 local
Place
Leamington, UT
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N339JL
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA06LA175
Reported as
Amtr Tbirdii
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX*
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
507 total207 in this make and model51 in the last 90 days
N339JLRegistration cancelled Apr 11, 2007 · Straw Jeffrey P T-BIRD IIS/N 17804 · Built 2004Airframe modelStraw Jeffrey P T-BIRD IIEngine modelBombardier ROTAX (ALL)Reciprocating

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.

(-23) This is a preliminary report. There is a continuing investigation taking place regarding this accident. When more facts become known regarding this case, an amended report will be filed. (-23 amendment) neither the FAA nor the NTSB knows for sure what caused this accident. However, it appears that there was a missing bolt from the left elevator bow that was sheared/twisted and failed which means that the left elevator was free from the control system and, therefore, uncontrollable by the pilot. This would have caused an inverse yaw condition which the pilot would have attempted to counteract with left rudder and aileron. This would have caused drag and loss of altitude which the pilot would have attempted to overcome with more engine power. Since the engine was above the longitudinal axis, more engine power would have led to the aircraft nosing downward. The aircraft did strike the ground nose first. The pilot still has no memory of the accident. This is a final report unless further information becomes known.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THIS IS A PRELIMINARY REPORT. THERE IS A CONTINUING INVESTIGATION TAKING PLACE REGARDING THIS ACCIDENT. WHEN MORE FACTS BECOME KNOWN REGARDING THIS CASE, AN AMENDED REPORT WILL BE FILED. (-23 AMENDMENT) NEITHER THE FAA NOR THE NTSB KNOWS FOR SURE WHAT CAUSED THIS ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THAT THERE WAS A MISSING BOLT FROM THE LEFT ELEVATOR BOW THAT WAS SHEARED/TWISTED AND FAILED WHICH MEANS THAT THE LEFT ELEVATOR WAS FREE FROM THE CONTROL SYSTEM AND, THEREFORE, UNCONTROLLABLE BY THE PILOT. THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN INVERSE YAW CONDITION WHICH THE PILOT WOULD HAVE ATTEMPTED TO COUNTERACT WITH LEFT RUDDER AND AILERON. THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED DRAG AND LOSS OF ALTITUDE WHICH THE PILOT WOULD HAVE ATTEMPTED TO OVERCOME WITH MORE ENGINE POWER. SINCE THE ENGINE WAS ABOVE THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS, MORE ENGINE POWER WOULD HAVE LED TO THE AIRCRAFT NOSING DOWNWARD. THE AIRCRAFT DID STRIKE THE GROUND NOSE FIRST. THE PILOT STILL HAS NO MEMORY OF THE ACCIDENT. THIS IS A FINAL REPORT UNLESS FURTHER INFORMATION BECOMES KNOWN.

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 SEA06LA175Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLeamington, UTThe pilot's loss of aircraft control (control not possible) due to the failure of the left elevator control surface which was the result of a missing inboard bolt (for undetermined reason) which holds the left elevator bow in place.Sep 4, 2006 · Destroyed