What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Significant design changes were constructed between the first test flight and this second test flight. Some changes included adding 6 of surface area to the canard, and shimming the engine 3 degrees in an attempt to adjust airflow angle over the elevator. The test pilot was unavailable on the day of the accident. The pilot in command (PIC) was also the designer and builder of the aircraft. The PIC did not possess a current medical certificate. The pic's most recent medical certificate expired for all classes 12/31/2001. There is no record of the PIC applying for basic med. The PIC recorded a total of 2.7 hours in the last 12 months prior to the accident. The PIC had no previous flight time or flight instruction in the aircraft involved in the accident. The aircraft was issued a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category dated November 20, 2018. The required aircraft condition inspection was returned to service by the PIC. The PIC possessed a repairmans certificate that included limitations. The repairman certificate limitations did not include this serial number aircraft. The aircraft was in phase I of flight testing with regard to the operating limitations dated 11/20/2018. The PIC had arranged for a photographer to be present to document the aircrafts second test flight. It was reported the PIC performed a preflight check, then proceeded to taxi to and depart from runway 35. The PIC struggled to maintain control of the aircraft as the wheels lifted from the runway surface. The aircraft was unable to achieve stable climb and eye witness reports suggest 200FT AGL was the max altitude obtained. As soon as the aircraft cleared the trees at the departure end of the runway. The aircraft entered a steep bank 45 degree angle left crosswind and then downwind turn as the PIC called out on the czl UNICOM his intent to return to the airport. The aircraft continued in a steep left turn with unstable pitch. Aircraft altitude and control was lost. The aircraft impacted the ground from a steep descent angle. The PIC was fatally injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The propeller and engine exhibited signs they were operational at the time of impact. The debris field scattered across the terrain with a trajectory of 132 degrees from point of impact. The debris path covered a 40 foot long by 25 foot wide area in the pasture before crossing into a hardwood line of trees. The wings, tail and fuselage came to rest within the tree line. The nose gear was located approximately 150 feet past the tree line in the neighboring pasture. There was no evidence of a post accident fire. The faint smell of fuel was present.
As the FAA filed it
SIGNIFICANT DESIGN CHANGES WERE CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN THE FIRST TEST FLIGHT AND THIS SECOND TEST FLIGHT. SOME CHANGES INCLUDED ADDING 6 OF SURFACE AREA TO THE CANARD, AND SHIMMING THE ENGINE 3 DEGREES IN AN ATTEMPT TO ADJUST AIRFLOW ANGLE OVER THE ELEVATOR. THE TEST PILOT WAS UNAVAILABLE ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) WAS ALSO THE DESIGNER AND BUILDER OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PIC DID NOT POSSESS A CURRENT MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. THE PIC'S MOST RECENT MEDICAL CERTIFICATE EXPIRED FOR ALL CLASSES 12/31/2001. THERE IS NO RECORD OF THE PIC APPLYING FOR BASIC MED. THE PIC RECORDED A TOTAL OF 2.7 HOURS IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PIC HAD NO PREVIOUS FLIGHT TIME OR FLIGHT INSTRUCTION IN THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ISSUED A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL CATEGORY DATED NOVEMBER 20, 2018. THE REQUIRED AIRCRAFT CONDITION INSPECTION WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE BY THE PIC. THE PIC POSSESSED A REPAIRMANS CERTIFICATE THAT INCLUDED LIMITATIONS. THE REPAIRMAN CERTIFICATE LIMITATIONS DID NOT INCLUDE THIS SERIAL NUMBER AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN PHASE I OF FLIGHT TESTING WITH REGARD TO THE OPERATING LIMITATIONS DATED 11/20/2018. THE PIC HAD ARRANGED FOR A PHOTOGRAPHER TO BE PRESENT TO DOCUMENT THE AIRCRAFTS SECOND TEST FLIGHT. IT WAS REPORTED THE PIC PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT CHECK, THEN PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO AND DEPART FROM RUNWAY 35. THE PIC STRUGGLED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AS THE WHEELS LIFTED FROM THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO ACHIEVE STABLE CLIMB AND EYE WITNESS REPORTS SUGGEST 200FT AGL WAS THE MAX ALTITUDE OBTAINED. AS SOON AS THE AIRCRAFT CLEARED THE TREES AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A STEEP BANK 45 DEGREE ANGLE LEFT CROSSWIND AND THEN DOWNWIND TURN AS THE PIC CALLED OUT ON THE CZL UNICOM HIS INTENT TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED IN A STEEP LEFT TURN WITH UNSTABLE PITCH. AIRCRAFT ALTITUDE AND CONTROL WAS LOST. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND FROM A STEEP DESCENT ANGLE. THE PIC WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE EXHIBITED SIGNS THEY WERE OPERATIONAL AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE DEBRIS FIELD SCATTERED ACROSS THE TERRAIN WITH A TRAJECTORY OF 132 DEGREES FROM POINT OF IMPACT. THE DEBRIS PATH COVERED A 40 FOOT LONG BY 25 FOOT WIDE AREA IN THE PASTURE BEFORE CROSSING INTO A HARDWOOD LINE OF TREES. THE WINGS, TAIL AND FUSELAGE CAME TO REST WITHIN THE TREE LINE. THE NOSE GEAR WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET PAST THE TREE LINE IN THE NEIGHBORING PASTURE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A POST ACCIDENT FIRE. THE FAINT SMELL OF FUEL WAS PRESENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.