Fallbeck DYKE DELTA JD2 N515D

Summary

On 21 October 1995 at about 17:36 local time, a Fallbeck DYKE DELTA JD2 registered N515D was involved in an accident near Safford, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 October 1995 at 17:36

Classification

Accident

Location

Safford, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

32.8323, -109.7095

Aircraft

Fallbeck DYKE DELTA JD2

Registration

N515D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX96LA003

1 person died.

Improper planning/decision by the owner/builder (pilot), which resulted in his failure or inability to recover from a stall/mush condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The owner/builder (pilot) of a home built airplane was on a test flight to evaluate the slow speed flight characteristics of the airplane after installation of fixed tabs on the wing tip trailing edges. During the flight, the airplane crashed on the downhill side of a 50-foot knoll. The wreckage exhibited evidence of vertical impact loads and a low impact angle. The designer of the original prototype described a fully developed stall in this airplane as a mushing characteristic, resulting in a high sink rate and temporary loss of control. The designer also stated that the pilot's incorporation of a T-tail was a contravention of the original design specifications. The pilot had previously recorded stall speeds of 100 mph. The designer's intended stall speed was 75 mph for an unmodified airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.