Langley TRI-QUICKIE N33LQ

Summary

On 25 September 2007 at about 16:00 local time, a Langley TRI-QUICKIE registered N33LQ, operated by Larry L Severson, was involved in an accident near Chino, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 September 2007 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Chino, California, United States

Nearest airport

Chino Airport (CNO)

Coordinates

33.9747, -117.6367

Aircraft

Langley TRI-QUICKIE

Registration

N33LQ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Larry L Severson

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

China → China

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA07CA271

2 people had minor injuries.

The premature rotation of the airplane on the takeoff roll as a result of the pilot failing the verify the elevator trim position, resulting in a loss of control and subsequent impact with terrain during an aborted takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that while taking off on Runway 26R the airplane pitched up, which resulted in a tail strike. The pilot reported that he was able to "...[get] the nose down, but [the airplane] pitched up again for another tail strike." The pilot revealed that after he "chopped the power" the airplane drifted off the runway to the left and subsequently impacted terrain with its left wing, coming to rest in an inverted position approximately 70 feet off the south side of the runway. The pilot stated that no mechanical anomalies were noted with the airplane prior to the takeoff. The pilot further stated that the airplane was equipped with a trim control (reflexor) on a push-pull cable that was mounted on the center console aft of the control stick, and operated opposite the "normal" nose up - aft, nose down - forward positions. The pilot reported that he didn't notice the trim position prior to flight and was not able to perform the required [trim] action "at a critical time." The pilot stated, "Failure to observe [the trim] position and reset [the trim] makes this accident 'pilot error.'" As a result of the impact forces both wings and canard were sheared off, the engine separated, and the fuselage was separated forward of the tail section.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.