OpenAirDocs.org

20090319003199A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Cessna C162 · El Dorado, KS · March 19, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
March 19, 2009 · 09:51 local
Place
El Dorado, KS
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N162CE
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN09FA220
Reported as
Cessna C162
Reported engine
Continental E0200
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
5,100 total220 in this make and model36 in the last 90 days
N162CERegistration cancelled May 29, 2020 · Cessna 162S/N 16200001 · Built 2008Airframe modelCessna 162Engine modelContinental 0-200 seriesReciprocating

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) During experimental flight testing, the aircraft was undergoing a spin test profile. The pilot was unable to recover from one of the spins and deployed the ballistic recovery system (brs) installed in the aircraft. The deployed chute stopped the spin and slowed the rate of descent. Test protocol states that the pilot was to jettison the chute and fly the aircraft back to base once the rotation stopped. A lanyard failed to pull a pin which would jettison the chute because it was friction locked by the twisting of the risers and harness caused by the spin. The aircraft was substantially damaged upon impact. On board computer test data showed the aircraft within test parameters and the pilot applying proper corrective control inputs to stop the spin. Further substantial damage was caused by winds on the landing zone which pulled the aircraft along the ground. The aircraft came to rest 0.61 miles west of initial impact. Aircraft design and test parameters caused a violent rotation preventing spin recovery causing the accident. A contributing factor was the failure of the non-production jettisoning feature of the brs.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING EXPERIMENTAL FLIGHT TESTING, THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNDERGOING A SPIN TEST PROFILE. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER FROM ONE OF THE SPINS AND DEPLOYED THE BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEM (BRS) INSTALLED IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE DEPLOYED CHUTE STOPPED THE SPIN AND SLOWED THE RATE OF DESCENT. TEST PROTOCOL STATES THAT THE PILOT WAS TO JETTISON THE CHUTE AND FLY THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO BASE ONCE THE ROTATION STOPPED. A LANYARD FAILED TO PULL A PIN WHICH WOULD JETTISON THE CHUTE BECAUSE IT WAS FRICTION LOCKED BY THE TWISTING OF THE RISERS AND HARNESS CAUSED BY THE SPIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED UPON IMPACT. ON BOARD COMPUTER TEST DATA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT WITHIN TEST PARAMETERS AND THE PILOT APPLYING PROPER CORRECTIVE CONTROL INPUTS TO STOP THE SPIN. FURTHER SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY WINDS ON THE LANDING ZONE WHICH PULLED THE AIRCRAFT ALONG THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST 0.61 MILES WEST OF INITIAL IMPACT. AIRCRAFT DESIGN AND TEST PARAMETERS CAUSED A VIOLENT ROTATION PREVENTING SPIN RECOVERY CAUSING THE ACCIDENT. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE FAILURE OF THE NON-PRODUCTION JETTISONING FEATURE OF THE BRS.

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 CEN09FA220Accident · No injuriesField investigationFinal reportEl Dorado, KSThe failure of the Ballistic Recovery System to disconnect due to twisted attachment straps.Mar 19, 2009 · Substantial damage