20121110025539A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Waller Charles R RANS S12-XL · Gordon, AL · November 10, 2012

Date: November 10, 2012 · 09:00 local
Place: Gordon, AL
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N933CW
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA13LA052
Reported as: Waller Charles R Rans S12-XL
Reported engine: ROTAX SEE BOMBADIER
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Sport pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,000 total222 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N933CWRegistered now · Waller Charles R RANS S12-XLS/N 03030963 · Built 2002 Airframe modelWaller Charles R RANS S12-XL Engine modelRotax SEE BOMBADIERReciprocating

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.

Aircraft departed a private grass airstrip and leveled off for cruise flight. Pilot stated the elevator started fluttering up and down violently, shaking the aircraft. Pilot decided to make emergency landing in a large field. The aircraft on touchdown hit a hidden hole, causing the aircraft to nose over and flip upside down. The pilot and passenger exited aircraft with no injuries and moderate damage to aircraft. The pilot, who was also the builder, found the elevator tab control cable broken allowing the elevator to flutter.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED A PRIVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP AND LEVELED OFF FOR CRUISE FLIGHT. PILOT STATED THE ELEVATOR STARTED FLUTTERING UP AND DOWN VIOLENTLY, SHAKING THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT DECIDED TO MAKE EMERGENCY LANDING IN A LARGE FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT ON TOUCHDOWN HIT A HIDDEN HOLE, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO NOSE OVER AND FLIP UPSIDE DOWN. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES AND MODERATE DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT, WHO WAS ALSO THE BUILDER, FOUND THE ELEVATOR TAB CONTROL CABLE BROKEN ALLOWING THE ELEVATOR TO FLUTTER.

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 ERA13LA052Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGordon, ALA fatigue failure of the elevator pitch trim cable, which resulted in aerodynamic flutter of the elevator in flight and the airplane’s subsequent nose-over during the resultant precautionary landing.Nov 10, 2012 · Substantial damage