20070917020859A

(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS IN PROCESS POSSIBLY BUYING THIS EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, SHERPA BY NAME, MANUFACTURED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN 1993. A COMPANY EMPLOYEE AND RATED PILOT OF SHERPA AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS IN THE BACK SEAT ASSISTING THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN THIS PROCESS. THE AIRCRAFT IS OWNED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND WAS NOT BEING SOLD BY SHERPA AIRCRAFT, ACCORDING TO THE OWNER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD DEMONSTRATED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE FRONT SEAT OF THIS TANDEM-SEATED CONFIGURATION ON A PRIOR FLIGHT AND SWITCHED SEATS WITH THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON THIS FLIGHT SINCE NO FLIGHT CONTROLS ARE INSTALLED IN THE BACK. FOR THIS FLIGHT, THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OCCUPED THE FRONTSEAT FOR A NORMAL LANDING TO THE GRASS RUNWAY EAST OF RUNWAY 33. A WITNESS ALONGSIDE THE EAST SIDE OF THE GRASS RUNWAY, INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT LEVELED OFF MOMENTARILY APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET AGL, PITCHED DOWN, AND MAINTAINED A NOSEDOWN ATTITUDE OF 45 DEGREES WITH POWER ON AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. FLAPS WERE IN APPROXIMATELY 15 DEGREES SETTING AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, EVEN THOUGH THE PILOT CLAIMED HE ADDED FULL FLAPS. BOTH PILOTS WERE INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. AN AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR IS INVESTIGATING THE POSSIBILITY OF A FLIGHT CONTROL PROBLEM PRIOR TO IMPACT WHICH THE NTSB LAB WILL LOOK INTO.