Match: 
#4
Message: 
#25108
From: 
"Doug Weiler" <dougweil(at)pressenter.com>
Subject: 
MN RV-4 Accident
Date: 
Jul 30, 1997



Fellow Listers:

I'd like to provide some further insight involving the recent fatal and
tragic accident of an RV-4 in the Twin Cities area.  I hesitate just a
little because obviously the final NTSB report has not been published and I
feel the RV List is not the proper forum to speculate on an accident until
the FAA, the NTSB, and Van's Aircraft have reached their conclusions. 
However there are some facts that have come to light that I feel are
relevant now to RV builders and pilots.  Here are the facts that I know as
of this time (after talks with the MN FAA FSDO, the Chicago office of the
NTSB, and several friends of the accident victim).

The accident involved a fellow NWA pilot and ALPA member Kosta Asselanis. 
Kosta had purchased this aircraft outstate from a builder that I am not
aware of.  He was taking off solo from Jensen Airport in Rosemount, MN
(about 15 miles SW of Minneapolis) on the evening of July 23rd.  There was
one eye witness who stated that at immediately after takeoff the aircraft
went into a near vertical climb, a series of erratic dives and climbs, a
stall and an uncontrolled dive into the ground.  

Both the FAA and NTSB investigators I spoke with confirmed that the F-440
elevator pushrod was broken in the area where it passes through the F-406B
bulkhead.  They felt this may have occurred right at takeoff with
subsequent loss of elevator control.  They said that the pilot may have
tried to control the aircraft with elevator trim but was not successful.

Several days prior to the accident, the pilot had told a friend that he had
fallen out of an aerobatic maneuver, exceeded Vne to approximately 250 mph
and experienced severe elevator flutter.  He landed without incident and
apparently inspected the aircraft externally.  The pushrod failed on the
next flight.

After this accident another local RV-4 pilot pulled his F-440 elevator
pushrod and had it magnafluxed at the NWA maintenance base.  Several cracks
were found in the aluminum tube.  

According to the NTSB investigator I spoke with, Van's is acutely aware of
this situation and likely will be examining the components from this
accident after Oshkosh.

If there are any further question, you may email me directly.

Thanks,

Doug Weiler, Pres, MN Wing, Van's AirForce
dougweil(at)mail.pressenter.com


    


End Msg: 
#4 

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