- Date
- August 22, 1988, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mariposa, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N707LTTedford VARI-EZE
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880822035009A
- Case key
- 25750
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
Acft observed to dive into grnd. Investigation revealed inflt breakup and separation of canards. Exam of canards revealed modification to increase chord improperly done, adding excess weight aft of CG and making components subject to flutter. One mounting bolt on rt canard found undertorqued. Looseness permitted flutter initiation at lower speed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N707LT
- Reported as
- Tedford VARI-EZE
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 391
- Airframe hours
- 8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C2C, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Louis R. Tedford
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · July 29, 1988
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 700 total · 8 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.