- Date
- July 3, 1983, 19:14 local (Jul 4, 1983, 02:14 UTC)
- Place
- San Diego, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N401JCClark Super Q2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830703030519A
- Case key
- 23561
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 hoem built acft was constructed using the basic design of the Q2, a 2 palce plane with a canard. However, it was built with signigicant design changes. These included a 2nd elevator which created at-tail. The 2nd elevator was operated by a handle which was mounted on the console wall. Also, the acft was equipped with a 104 HP liquid cooled eng instead of an air cooled 64 HP eng; the gross wt was increased from 1000 to 1350 lbs; & the fuel capacity was increased from 20 to 36 gal & an additional aft tank was installed. After his speed taxi checks, the owner/builder/plt took off on his 1st flt. Witnesses reported that during takeoff, the cft climbed to an alt of aprx 100 to 200 ft AGL, then entered a steep descent & crashed. No preimpact part failure was found. The handle for the 2nd elevator was found in a full travel (acft nose down) position. The 2nd elevator was found to be 'reversible' & airloads at takeoff speeds could have driven it to a full travel (acft nose down) position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N401JC
- Reported as
- Clark Super Q2
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- Rotorway UNK/NR, 104 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John M. Clark
- Last inspection
- Unknown · June 29, 1983 · 0 hours before
- Airport
- Brown Field, runway 26R, 7,999 × 200 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 11,367 total · 11,246 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 13 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Observed at
- SDM, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.