Skygear SKYGEAR N51291

Summary

On 25 May 2007 at about 20:25 local time, a Skygear SKYGEAR registered N51291 was involved in an accident near Chino, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 May 2007 at 20:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Chino, California, United States

Nearest airport

Chino (CNO)

Coordinates

33.9761, -117.6381

Aircraft

Skygear SKYGEAR

Registration

N51291

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chino → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX07LA175

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed that resulted in an inadvertent stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The recently constructed amateur-built experimental airplane was in its initial flight test phase and was in the traffic pattern at the airport. Witnesses said it stalled and collided with terrain in a nose down attitude. The airplane had accumulated approximately 8 hours total flight time. An individual who was assisting the pilot with the certification of the airplane reported that it was about 100 pounds heavier than the original design specified due to intentional modifications that were made during construction. Most of the additional weight was located in the tail section. On the day of the accident, the pilot had loaded into the front seat numerous heavy items in an attempt to move the CG forward. The items included a metal workbench vise, a metal toolbox, and a large box of construction staples. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no abnormalities, which would have precluded normal operation. The person assisting with certification stated that the original concept airframe was built in Korea and consisted of a metal frame covered with cloth. The pilot had the accident airplane built in China but with the metal frame covered in hand laid fiberglass.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.