- Date
- May 18, 1984, 10:35 local (16:35 UTC)
- Place
- Longmont, CO
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N42JHHarper/Cricri MK-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840518018659A
- Case key
- 16249
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The homebuilt acft was on downwind leg of the traffic pattern, after initial takeoff, when it went into a dive & collided with the ground. A witness said he heard a power reduction before the dive & power added again as it started down. The plt's son said his father had control flutter problems at speeds above 100 mph. This was verified by a logbookentry. By reducing speed, the flutter went away. Thus, the flaperon (aileron) push rods were modified by the plt. The modification consisted of a doubler, 2 bearings & a 1 inch hole to retain the bearings. During a post accident inspection, it was found that the bellcrank arm had separated from the bearing. It was found that the drilled hole was irregular & large enough to allow the bearing to slip thru the hole. The bearing was the only means of retaining the bellcrank to the fulcrum point. The right aileron at the accident scene was separated from the main wreckage and the control push rods to the elevator were broken at the bracket attached to the elevator.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N42JH
- Reported as
- Harper/Cricri MK-12
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 071
- Airframe hours
- 104
- Engine
- JPX PUL 212, 15 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James B. Harper
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 18, 1983 · 104 hours before
- Airport
- 2V2 · Longmont Muni, runway 11, 4,200 × 60 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 12,105 total · 10 in this make and model · 143 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 75 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.