FTW94LA084

According to the pilot/owner, he recalculated the airplane's weight and c.g., after another pilot had complained that the airplane was flying nose heavy and unstable in the pitch axis. During the recalculation the pilot determined that 25 lbs. Of ballast needed to be added at station 175 in the tail. However, it was noted that his calculations were not in accordance with either the owner's manual or the aircraft specific weight and balance computer program that he used. The weight was added and during the ensuing takeoff the airplane pitched nose up at liftoff, became longitudinally unstable and subsequently impacted the ground.

On February 19, 1994, at 1350 central standard time, a Noble Quickie Q-200 home built, N827Q, was substantially damaged during takeoff at the North Little Rock, Arkansas, municipal airport. The airplane, flown by the owner/private pilot, was departing on what was to have been a local personal flight. There was no flight plan filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Both the pilot and the airline transport rated passenger received minor injuries.

According to the pilot, the passenger pilot was executing the takeoff from runway 17 when the airplane pitched 10 to 15 degrees nose up and rolled right as it reached an airspeed of 90 MPH at rotation. The first pilot stated that he yelled "reflexers forward" and took the controls. He further stated that the airplane oscillated nose up and down and rolled right. He pushed the nose down and rolled the airplane left. According to the pilots, the airplane subsequently struck the runway with the left canard at about 130 MPH and flipped inverted. It slid 140 feet on the runway and 210 feet through the soft dirt before coming to a stop in an inverted position.

According to the owner/pilot, a potential co-owner, who had flown the airplane, told him that the airplane was flying nose heavy and pitch control in flight was poor. As a result, the owner re- weighed the airplane using the same calibrated scales he had used during the original construction and found that the airplane's empty weight had increased by 22 pounds that could not be accounted for. The owner/pilot recalculated the weight and center of gravity using a computer program that had been written for the accident make and model. It was noted that the owner's manual and the computer program instructions stated that the airplane should have been weighed both empty and with the pilot and passenger whenever possible. This was a result of a discrepancy in the original positioning of the seats in the manual. According to information provided by the owner, the passenger weight was not factored into his final calculations.

The owner stated that his calculations indicated that he needed to add 25 pounds of ballast at station 175 in order to get the center of gravity into the mid-range area. He further stated that in retrospect, he could not understand how he accepted that figure as he only had to add 50 pounds at the same station to raise the nose gear off the ground when it required maintenance. The weight, in the form of lead bars in a box, was added at the indicated station. This was to have been the first flight after the work was accomplished.