# Accident 20191006018789A: Elan Flight Ltd. DG-500 ELAN TRAINER, Tucson, AZ, October 6, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 6, 2019, 13:50 local time
- Place: Tucson, AZ
- Airport: El Tiro Gliderport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.4300° N, 111.3900° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.4300&lon=-111.3900&mi=10
- Aircraft: N600TT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N600TT-2021-01-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Elan Flight DG-500 ELAN TRAINER (registry code 3802562, https://openairdocs.org/model/elan-flight-dg-500-elan-trainer) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ELAN FLIGHT LTD. DG-500 ELAN TRAINER
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 269 total, 13 in this make and model, 44 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR20LA004](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA004) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191006018789A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMING AEROBATIC MANEUVERS TO ADD TO THE PHASE II CAPABILITY LIST.  DURING A 4G RECOVERY, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED AN OVERSPEED CONDITION AND EXPERIENCED SUBSEQUENT ELEVATOR FLUTTER WHICH MALFUNCTIONED THE FLIGHT CONTROL.  DURING AERODYNAMIC FLUTTER OF THE ELEVATOR THE RIGHT WING SPOILER MALFUNCTIONED AND DEPLOYED CAUSE MORE INDUCED DRAG AND UNSTABLE CONTROL OF FLIGHT. THE CREW WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, THEY ELECTED TO LAND IN THE DESERT RATHER THAN BAIL OUT VIA PARACHUTE SINCE THEY WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN LIMITED POSITIVE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.  AS AIRCRAFT PASSED THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 10' AGL, THE RATE OF DESCENT INCREASED AND AIRCRAFT MAIN WHEEL IMPACTED A SMALL BERM PRIOR TO THE PLANNED TOUCHDOWN POINT, THE AIRCRAFT TAIL SECTION BROKE OFF AND THE AIRCRAFT FISH TAILED TO THE RIGHT COMING TO REST PERPENDICULAR TO THE PATH OF LANDING RESTING ON ITS LEFT WING.  ONE PILOT EXPERIENCED BACK PAIN\ AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR MEDICAL REVIEW AND WAS RELEASED WITH NO ISSUE BUT MUSCLE SORENESS.  NO CORRECTIVE ACTION NEEDED FOR THE PILOTS AS THIS A WAS TESTING PLATFORM IN A NON-POPULATED AREA FOR EXPANDING THE MANEUVERING CAPABILITIES OF THE AIRCRAFT AS REQUIRED BY THEIR OPERATING LIMITATIONS.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR20LA004](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA004), Oct 6, 2019: Glaser Dirks DG500 (N600TT), Marana, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilots’ exceedance of the glider’s never-exceed speed (VNE) during recovery from an intentional aerobatic maneuver, which resulted in a failure of the right-wing air brake control drive,…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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