GRAYSLAKE, IL, USA
N701CM
CLAUDE E. MERRIN ZENAIR STOL CH-701
JUST AFTER INITIAL TAKE-OFF, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED AN 'UNCONTROLLABLE TURN TO THE LEFT.' THE PILOT REPORTED THE TURN 'BACAME STEEPER AND SOON WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING THE PLANE IN AN INVERTED POSITION.' THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND, AND WAS DESTROYED BY AN ON-GROUND EXPLOSION AND FIRE. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH AIRFRAME, ENGINE OR ACCESSORIES.
On June 12, 1993, about 1100 central daylight time, a homebuilt Zenair STOL CH-701, N701CM, was destroyed when it collided with the ground in Grayslake, Illinois. The student pilot was departing Campbell Airport, Grayslake, Illinois, in visual meteorological conditions with no flight plan filed for the personal flight operating under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot was seriously injured. Just after initial take-off, the pilot experienced an "uncontrollable turn to the left." The pilot reported the turn "became steeper and soon was in the process of putting the plane in an inverted position." The aircraft impacted the ground, and was destroyed by an on-ground explosion and fire. A witness reportedly observed the aircraft taking off from Runway 09. He said the aircraft became airborne within 100 to 150 feet, then almost immediately after taking off, the aircraft's left wing "drooped" and the aircraft turned north. It then drooped again and turned northwest. The witness stated it then appeared that the aircraft would collide with another aircraft on the ground. Then, the nose came up slightly and the left wind came down, impacting the ground. The pilot submitted the left and right control horns and rods to be examined. The left control horn plate was fractured, and the left control rod was bent. The control horn plate fracture has the granular appearance of an instantaneous failure. The compression bend in the left control rod, as well as the instantaneous type failure are indicative of impact damage. The right plate and rod were not damaged. The aircraft was new, with approximately 2 hours total flight time, and the owner/pilot had only 1.5 hours in type, at the time of the accident. Post accident examination revealed no mechanical malfunction with the airframe, engine or accessories.
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN AIRCRAFT TYPE WAS A FACTOR.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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