The uncertificated pilot stated that he replaced the wing and control surface skins of the M-Squared Sport 1000 and planned to perform a test flight. He said that shortly after adding power, the airplane “jumped up” 15 feet off the ground and drifted away from the runway centerline at the airport in Little Falls, Minnesota.
He applied corrective control inputs to return the airplane back to runway centerline and then applied full engine power to initiate a go-around. About 100 feet agl, the airplane banked hard to the left. The pilot applied right aileron control input, but was unable to reduce the bank.
The airplane descended and hit the ground about 200 yards from the end of the runway.
The pilot, who sustained minor injuries in the crash, said there were no engine-related mechanical anomalies. The flight controls were subject to impact damage, however the damage was consistent with failures associated with overload due to ground impact and not a failure in flight.
Probable Cause: The uncertificated pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff, which resulted in an impact with terrain.
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This May 2020 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Uncertificated doesn’t necessarily mean less able or knowledgeable as opposed to certificated.
Wouldn’t you have said the same about Orville and Wilbur?
The left wing went down because it was stalled. Attempting to raise it with ailerons deepened the stall.
Forward elevator and a little right ailerons to recover and full power.
At high alpha and low speed, it is unload the wing, or forward elevator as you say, full power, and RIGHT RUDDER, not aileron. Right aileron deepens the stall.
Early morning. . You’re correct.
Forward elevator, full power plus ailerons in direction of roll. Just a little at low altitude.
I still maintain that at high alpha and low speed, the correct control input to try to level the wings is rudder, NOT aileron. In that situation, right aileron input causes the left aileron to to go down, which increases the angle of attack of the left wing, which in turn deepens the left wing stall, and causes the plane to roll even faster to the left.
If the airplane is in that condition where the aileron is working backwards, then the pilot hasn’t performed the number 1 and by far the most important step yet, or hasn’t done it properly – reducing the angle of attack and reestablishing airflow over the wing.
The thing that you use to hang up your shirts in the closet is called a “hanger”. The building that is used to store an aircraft is called a “hangar”.
How do you know he wasn’t looking for something to hang his shirt on? 🙂
Interesting. Had a guy come by sniffing around for a hanger recently. He didn’t have any training or certificate but was sim proficient. He wanted to try to fly his own airplane. Too bad there was no space at our field. His would have been an entertaining death.