PONTIAC, MI, USA
N889HC
CHAPPEL RATSREPUS 300
THE PILOT WAS TESTING THIS EXPERIMENTAL ACROBATIC AIRCRAFT, MAKING A SECOND LOW PASS OVER THE RUNWAY WHEN A PORTION OF THE LEFT WING SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, FOLLOWED BY LOSS OF THE LEFT AILERON, 1 1/2 ROLLS TO THE LEFT AND GROUND IMPACT. THE AIRFRAME TOTAL TIME WAS 4 HOURS. ON-SCENE INSPECTION REVEALED NO MASS BALANCE IN THE AILERONS. WITNESSES ESTIMATE SPEEDS AT OR ABOVE 150 MPH. A DESIGNATED ENGINEERING REPRESENTATIVE IN THE AREA OF FLUTTER AND VIBRATION STATED HE HAD RECOMMENDED THAT THE AIRSPEED BE LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 135 MPH UNTIL GROUND VIBRATION TESTS WERE CONDUCTED.
DESTRUCTIVE WING/AILERON FLUTTER IS SUSPECTED, BUT NOT SUFFICIENTLY SUBSTANTIATED THROUGH RESEARCH AND CALCULATIONS TO BE CITED AS THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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