Crunch Alert (USA) - not Mifflin

From today's FAA prelims...

Begin cut-n-paste...
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 186P Make/Model: EXP Description: AVIA STROITEL AC-5M GLIDER
Date: 05/19/2012 Time: 2253

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
City: KINGSTON State: NV Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES IN A FIELD, THE 1 PERSON ON
BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, NEAR KINGSTON, NV

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

End cut-n-paste...)

FAA registry matches ship type shown above. FAA registration surname *close*
(not exact) to a name in the SSA database (which difference may easily be a typo).

My thoughts and prayers for family and friends affected...

Bob W.

P.S. The Mifflin accident is also in Monday's prelims, but as some of its
details are already well known in the RAS world, and, the FAA prelims contain
no new info, no need to re-plow ground.

Does anyone have more information on this accident? Where was the flight originated from?

Ramy

On May 21, 9:58*pm, Ramy wrote:
Does anyone have more information on this accident? Where was the flight originated from?

Ramy

The preliminary accident report is now on the NTSB website.....
Thx - Renny

http://dms.ntsb.gov/aviation/Acciden...2012120000.pdf

On Wednesday, May 23, 2012 3:02:56 PM UTC-7, Renny wrote:
On May 21, 9:58*pm, Ramy wrote:
Does anyone have more information on this accident? Where was the flight originated from?

Ramy

The preliminary accident report is now on the NTSB website.....
Thx - Renny

http://dms.ntsb.gov/aviation/Acciden...2012120000.pdf

Reading the description, and in light of recent incident, I can't help but ask myself if this could be another broken rudder cable? A broken rudder cable with spring mechanism at low altitude could end just like that.

Ramy

On Wednesday, May 23, 2012 7:53:18 PM UTC-4, Ramy wrote:
On Wednesday, May 23, 2012 3:02:56 PM UTC-7, Renny wrote:
On May 21, 9:58*pm, Ramy wrote:
Does anyone have more information on this accident? Where was the flight originated from?

Ramy

The preliminary accident report is now on the NTSB website.....
Thx - Renny

http://dms.ntsb.gov/aviation/Acciden...2012120000.pdf

Reading the description, and in light of recent incident, I can't help but ask myself if this could be another broken rudder cable? A broken rudder cable with spring mechanism at low altitude could end just like that.

Ramy

Steep bank, followed by pitch up, doesn't sound to me to be yaw related.
Yaw failure would most likely result in spiral or spin response with nose going down.
Jammed roll control, followed by pulling to try to keep the nose up is as likely.
That's why we can't solve these on RAS.
UH

On Wednesday, May 23, 2012 7:41:46 PM UTC-6, wrote:
On Wednesday, May 23, 2012 7:53:18 PM UTC-4, Ramy wrote:
On Wednesday, May 23, 2012 3:02:56 PM UTC-7, Renny wrote:
On May 21, 9:58*pm, Ramy wrote:
Does anyone have more information on this accident? Where was the flight originated from?

Ramy

The preliminary accident report is now on the NTSB website.....
Thx - Renny

http://dms.ntsb.gov/aviation/Acciden...2012120000.pdf

Reading the description, and in light of recent incident, I can't help but ask myself if this could be another broken rudder cable? A broken rudder cable with spring mechanism at low altitude could end just like that.

Ramy

Steep bank, followed by pitch up, doesn't sound to me to be yaw related.
Yaw failure would most likely result in spiral or spin response with nose going down.
Jammed roll control, followed by pulling to try to keep the nose up is as likely.
That's why we can't solve these on RAS.
UH

Nope, not enough information, and there's been no discussion on the AC4 yahoo group. However, there have been a few recent reports of AC-5M's losing props and incurring damage as a result. Some pilots have replaced or are replacing the aluminum prop shafts/hubs with steel replacements.

Just a data point.

Frank W

On Monday, May 21, 2012 10:53:14 AM UTC-7, BobW wrote:
From today's FAA prelims...

Begin cut-n-paste...
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 186P Make/Model: EXP Description: AVIA STROITEL AC-5M GLIDER
Date: 05/19/2012 Time: 2253

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
City: KINGSTON State: NV Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES IN A FIELD, THE 1 PERSON ON
BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, NEAR KINGSTON, NV

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

End cut-n-paste...)

FAA registry matches ship type shown above. FAA registration surname *close*
(not exact) to a name in the SSA database (which difference may easily be a typo).

My thoughts and prayers for family and friends affected...

Bob W.

P.S. The Mifflin accident is also in Monday's prelims, but as some of its
details are already well known in the RAS world, and, the FAA prelims contain
no new info, no need to re-plow ground.

I find the preliminary NTSB report very lacking in essential information:
+++ Were the control systems verfied???
+++ Was the engine up (running) ????
+++ Was the prop attached to the engine???
+++ If the prop had separated, where was it? Sticking in the left wing???
Because this is a fatal accident, the final report won't be out for the better part of a year............How would you like it if you flew one of these ships???
Pretty shabby work,
JJ

Regis#: 186P Make/Model: EXP Description: AVIA STROITEL AC-5M GLIDER
Date: 05/19/2012 Time: 2253

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
City: KINGSTON State: NV Country: US

We have a lot on the airport at Kingston and was there this weekend for a birthday party. When a glider flies at Kingston, it’s a bit of an event with numerous people watching.

I spoke with a few eye-witnesses that stated that they thought that he was trying to bail out from a very low altitude. They also stated that the FAA/NTSB told them that since it was an experimental that they weren’t interested in looking at it. Another witness said that well over half an hour after he watched the takeoff he heard a loud noise stepped out of his cabin to see the glider hit at a very steep angle. The canopy has not been found.

The pilot’s son was at the airport today practicing landings in his father’s Citabria before taking it to Truckee, California. The wreckage was in the open hangar but I didn’t get a chance to speak with him before having to leave. One of his friends there said that the father had written in his logbook that he was having rudder problems on a previous flight.

I was really looking forward to flying gliders with Frank this summer and am saddened by his loss.

Jim D