OpenAirDocs.org

20121128027479A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Lawson J/Bowie R/Smith M CA-8 · Merritt Island, FL · November 28, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
November 28, 2012 · 14:36 local
Place
Merritt Island, FL
Airport
Merritt Island Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N155JD
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA13LA069
Reported as
Lawson J/Bowie R/Smith M CA-8
Reported engine
WALTER M601 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
5,500 total100 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days
N155JDRegistration cancelled Feb 8, 2018 · Lawson J/Bowie R/Smith M CA-8S/N 998205 · Built 2001Airframe modelLawson J/Bowie R/Smith M CA-8Engine modelWalter M601 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.

N155JD was enroute to merrit Island airport arriving VFR from the north at 8500'. Prior to arriving at merrit Island the pilot experienced problems with the ailerons or aileron servo for the electric trim. The aircraft did not have manual trim. The pilot was very specific on the control surface pressures that he was receiving. At the time of landing he could not keep the right wing down. While the aircraft was still at the accident site I removed all three of the servos. The aileron servo was broken in pieces. I could not tell if it was broken prior to impact or if it broke during impact. The pilot was informed that no traffic was observed between the aircraft and the airport and radar service was terminated. The pilot attempted landing and went around and touched down approximately 100 yards to the south of runway 29. The airplane touched down near a canal and flipped over and landed on its back. The aircraft tail and left wing broke apart and the propeller went into the mock and was not recovered. The pilot stated that the controls did not respond at all. All three servos were checked for proper operation. Two checked ok and the third servo (ailerons) was broken apart and was not able to be checked.

As the FAA filed it

N155JD WAS ENROUTE TO MERRIT ISLAND AIRPORT ARRIVING VFR FROM THE NORTH AT 8500'. PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT MERRIT ISLAND THE PILOT EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE AILERONS OR AILERON SERVO FOR THE ELECTRIC TRIM. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE MANUAL TRIM. THE PILOT WAS VERY SPECIFIC ON THE CONTROL SURFACE PRESSURES THAT HE WAS RECEIVING. AT THE TIME OF LANDING HE COULD NOT KEEP THE RIGHT WING DOWN. WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE I REMOVED ALL THREE OF THE SERVOS. THE AILERON SERVO WAS BROKEN IN PIECES. I COULD NOT TELL IF IT WAS BROKEN PRIOR TO IMPACT OR IF IT BROKE DURING IMPACT. THE PILOT WAS INFORMED THAT NO TRAFFIC WAS OBSERVED BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRPORT AND RADAR SERVICE WAS TERMINATED. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED LANDING AND WENT AROUND AND TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS TO THE SOUTH OF RUNWAY 29. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN NEAR A CANAL AND FLIPPED OVER AND LANDED ON ITS BACK. THE AIRCRAFT TAIL AND LEFT WING BROKE APART AND THE PROPELLER WENT INTO THE MOCK AND WAS NOT RECOVERED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE CONTROLS DID NOT RESPOND AT ALL. ALL THREE SERVOS WERE CHECKED FOR PROPER OPERATION. TWO CHECKED OK AND THE THIRD SERVO (AILERONS) WAS BROKEN APART AND WAS NOT ABLE TO BE CHECKED.

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 ERA13LA069Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMerritt Island, FLThe pilot's improper decision to continue a cross-country flight as a primary control (aileron) system anomaly progressively worsened. Contributing to the accident was an aileron control system anomaly, the reason for which could not be determined because the…Nov 28, 2012 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N155JD · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20010622013109IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Caruthersville, MO(-23) Experimental aircraft performing flight testing at 15,500 feet MSL. At takeoff, pilot determined that 104 gallons of fuel was onboard aircraft. While at altitude, pilot stated engine quit due to apparent fuel starvation. However, aircraft fuel totalizer…Jun 22, 2001 · Minor damage