What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Accident aircraft is an experimental amateur built aircraft; model Savannah S, built by the pilot. Aircraft was certificated/inspected on December 2, 2022 and had approximately 4.5 flight hours on the airframe at the time of the accident. Per the special airworthiness certificate conditions and limitations, which was issued on December 10, 2022, the aircraft was required to be operated for at least 40 hours and 10 landings and takeoffs from a specific geographic area. On February 28, 2023, the pilot performed a thorough pre-flight of the aircraft and added fuel to the aircraft. The pilot cranked the engine and waited for the temperatures to increase into normal operating limits, once the pilot checked the latest weather from the aiken regional airport (aik) ATIS, he departed from edgefield county airport (6J6) on runway 29. The pilot was assisted on this test flight by another pilot per ac 90-116. The goal of this test flight was to test RPM, speeds, flaps, aircraft handling at different power settings and simulated landings. Once the test flight was accomplished and the data for the maneuvers recorded the aircraft entered the traffic pattern to land. As the aircraft turned base to final the controls (flaperons and elevator) locked up and would not move. Both pilot the other pilot assisting with the test flight attempted numerous times to move the control stick without success. The aircraft was in a left bank and slowly descended into the trees short of runway 29 at 6J6. The aircraft was destroyed and both the pilot and the pilot assisting with the test flight sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was inspected and photographed on site before the aircraft was moved to the pilot’s residence for further inspection. Another inspection by an airworthiness inspector and the NTSB investigator confirmed flight control continuity from the control stick through the fuselage to the rudder and elevators. Continuity of ailerons/flaps could not be determined due to possible overload breaks in cross tubes connecting the flight controls. Aileron/flaps were able to rotate freely about their axis’s. flight control examination noted continuity from control stick to flight control system behind bulkhead, which included aileron/flap bell cranks and rudder/elevator cables. Control stick had limited range of motion and appeared to be operational. The pilot statedit is possible that an item could have been wedged between the center contol stick and the floor of the aircraft which may have induced the flight control failure. NTSB investigation continues.
As the FAA filed it
ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT IS AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT; MODEL SAVANNAH S, BUILT BY THE PILOT. AIRCRAFT WAS CERTIFICATED/INSPECTED ON DECEMBER 2, 2022 AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 4.5 FLIGHT HOURS ON THE AIRFRAME AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. PER THE SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS, WHICH WAS ISSUED ON DECEMBER 10, 2022, THE AIRCRAFT WAS REQUIRED TO BE OPERATED FOR AT LEAST 40 HOURS AND 10 LANDINGS AND TAKEOFFS FROM A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA. ON FEBRUARY 28, 2023, THE PILOT PERFORMED A THOROUGH PRE-FLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ADDED FUEL TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT CRANKED THE ENGINE AND WAITED FOR THE TEMPERATURES TO INCREASE INTO NORMAL OPERATING LIMITS, ONCE THE PILOT CHECKED THE LATEST WEATHER FROM THE AIKEN REGIONAL AIRPORT (AIK) ATIS, HE DEPARTED FROM EDGEFIELD COUNTY AIRPORT (6J6) ON RUNWAY 29. THE PILOT WAS ASSISTED ON THIS TEST FLIGHT BY ANOTHER PILOT PER AC 90-116. THE GOAL OF THIS TEST FLIGHT WAS TO TEST RPM, SPEEDS, FLAPS, AIRCRAFT HANDLING AT DIFFERENT POWER SETTINGS AND SIMULATED LANDINGS. ONCE THE TEST FLIGHT WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND THE DATA FOR THE MANEUVERS RECORDED THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO LAND. AS THE AIRCRAFT TURNED BASE TO FINAL THE CONTROLS (FLAPERONS AND ELEVATOR) LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT MOVE. BOTH PILOT THE OTHER PILOT ASSISTING WITH THE TEST FLIGHT ATTEMPTED NUMEROUS TIMES TO MOVE THE CONTROL STICK WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A LEFT BANK AND SLOWLY DESCENDED INTO THE TREES SHORT OF RUNWAY 29 AT 6J6. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND BOTH THE PILOT AND THE PILOT ASSISTING WITH THE TEST FLIGHT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED AND PHOTOGRAPHED ON SITE BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO THE PILOT’S RESIDENCE FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. ANOTHER INSPECTION BY AN AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR AND THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR CONFIRMED FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY FROM THE CONTROL STICK THROUGH THE FUSELAGE TO THE RUDDER AND ELEVATORS. CONTINUITY OF AILERONS/FLAPS COULD NOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO POSSIBLE OVERLOAD BREAKS IN CROSS TUBES CONNECTING THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. AILERON/FLAPS WERE ABLE TO ROTATE FREELY ABOUT THEIR AXIS’S. FLIGHT CONTROL EXAMINATION NOTED CONTINUITY FROM CONTROL STICK TO FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM BEHIND BULKHEAD, WHICH INCLUDED AILERON/FLAP BELL CRANKS AND RUDDER/ELEVATOR CABLES. CONTROL STICK HAD LIMITED RANGE OF MOTION AND APPEARED TO BE OPERATIONAL. THE PILOT STATEDIT IS POSSIBLE THAT AN ITEM COULD HAVE BEEN WEDGED BETWEEN THE CENTER CONTOL STICK AND THE FLOOR OF THE AIRCRAFT WHICH MAY HAVE INDUCED THE FLIGHT CONTROL FAILURE. NTSB INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.