OpenAirDocs.org

20150917016739I

Incident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Aircraft · Montpelier, VT · September 17, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
September 17, 2015 · 16:00 local
Place
Montpelier, VT
Airport
Knapp State
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
NONE
Reported engine
ROTAX 582
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
200 total

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.

On 09/17/2015, we were notified that an aircraft had crashed at Knapp State Airport (mpv) in barre/Montpelier, VT. privacy data omitted Was the only occupant and he had been taken to a local hospital with numerous but non-life threatening injuries. privacy data omitted Is a 67 year old holder of a private pilot licenseprivacy data omitted but he has not had a medical since 01/05/2004. He purchased the aircraft 10 years ago and was diagnosed with cancer approximately 8 years ago. He has been receiving cancer treatment so he has not flown in the past 8 years and says he has no intention to fly. He is still being treated for cancer but is doing better and had worked on the aircraft all summer, trying to get it ready to sell. He almost had the aircraft restored to saleable condition but was having trouble with the tail wheel. He had adjusted the tail wheel chains and elevator and was attempting a high speed taxi to try it out. (He claims that he had no intention to fly.) During the high speed taxi test, he thinks he might have had too much power and a wind gust suddenly lifted him off the ground and he climbed very fast. He then lost control and crashed. He sprained both knees, both ankles, sustained numerous bruises and cuts. The aircraft is a total loss with extensive wing and forward fuselage damage.

Following the crash there were two a&p/ia mechanics on site who both verified that the ailerons were rigged backwards. I asked privacy data omitted if it was possible that the ailerons were rigged backwards. He didn?t think that was possible but conceded that ?they might not have been rigged just right?.

The aircraft is a 2 seat, golden circle, t-bird with a Rotax 582 engine. The aircraft has never been registered with the FAA. He claims it was registered 10 years ago with one of the ultralight groups but no record can be found. Back then the aircraft was marketed as a 2 place, ultralight trainer. This aircraft does not meet the FAA?s present requirements to be classified as an ultralight.

As the FAA filed it

ON 09/17/2015, WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT AN AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED AT KNAPP STATE AIRPORT (MPV) IN BARRE/MONTPELIER, VT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT AND HE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WITH NUMEROUS BUT NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS A 67 YEAR OLD HOLDER OF A PRIVATE PILOT LICENSE^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BUT HE HAS NOT HAD A MEDICAL SINCE 01/05/2004. HE PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT 10 YEARS AGO AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER APPROXIMATELY 8 YEARS AGO. HE HAS BEEN RECEIVING CANCER TREATMENT SO HE HAS NOT FLOWN IN THE PAST 8 YEARS AND SAYS HE HAS NO INTENTION TO FLY. HE IS STILL BEING TREATED FOR CANCER BUT IS DOING BETTER AND HAD WORKED ON THE AIRCRAFT ALL SUMMER, TRYING TO GET IT READY TO SELL. HE ALMOST HAD THE AIRCRAFT RESTORED TO SALEABLE CONDITION BUT WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE TAIL WHEEL. HE HAD ADJUSTED THE TAIL WHEEL CHAINS AND ELEVATOR AND WAS ATTEMPTING A HIGH SPEED TAXI TO TRY IT OUT. (HE CLAIMS THAT HE HAD NO INTENTION TO FLY.) DURING THE HIGH SPEED TAXI TEST, HE THINKS HE MIGHT HAVE HAD TOO MUCH POWER AND A WIND GUST SUDDENLY LIFTED HIM OFF THE GROUND AND HE CLIMBED VERY FAST. HE THEN LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED. HE SPRAINED BOTH KNEES, BOTH ANKLES, SUSTAINED NUMEROUS BRUISES AND CUTS. THE AIRCRAFT IS A TOTAL LOSS WITH EXTENSIVE WING AND FORWARD FUSELAGE DAMAGE.

FOLLOWING THE CRASH THERE WERE TWO A&P/IA MECHANICS ON SITE WHO BOTH VERIFIED THAT THE AILERONS WERE RIGGED BACKWARDS. I ASKED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IF IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT THE AILERONS WERE RIGGED BACKWARDS. HE DIDN?T THINK THAT WAS POSSIBLE BUT CONCEDED THAT ?THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN RIGGED JUST RIGHT?.

THE AIRCRAFT IS A 2 SEAT, GOLDEN CIRCLE, T-BIRD WITH A ROTAX 582 ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT HAS NEVER BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE FAA. HE CLAIMS IT WAS REGISTERED 10 YEARS AGO WITH ONE OF THE ULTRALIGHT GROUPS BUT NO RECORD CAN BE FOUND. BACK THEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS MARKETED AS A 2 PLACE, ULTRALIGHT TRAINER. THIS AIRCRAFT DOES NOT MEET THE FAA?S PRESENT REQUIREMENTS TO BE CLASSIFIED AS AN ULTRALIGHT.