McKeehan James F ACRODUSTER II SA750 N363J

Summary

On 16 June 2008 at about 18:30 local time, a McKeehan James F ACRODUSTER II SA750 registered N363J, operated by Kevin G. Gorham, was involved in an accident near Panama City, Florida, United States. 2 people were 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

16 June 2008 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Panama City, Florida, United States

Coordinates

30.3403, -85.6233

Aircraft

McKeehan James F ACRODUSTER II SA750

Registration

N363J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Kevin G. Gorham

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Panama City → Panama City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA08LA121

1 person died.

The pilot's inability to recover from an intentional aerobatic maneuver due to loss of aileron control. Contributing to the accident was the installation of an inadequate aileron secondary stop block against the main spar of both lower wings.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The passenger reported that the pilot had performed a thorough preflight inspection of the airplane and that after takeoff he performed aerobatic maneuvers over a practice area. Before the last maneuver the pilot asked the passenger if he wanted to perform what he thought was a tail slide. The flight climbed to 3,500 feet and the pilot initiated the maneuver and, after falling for a few seconds, attempted to recover. The pilot appeared to bring the nose level briefly with full power, but the airplane then started rolling to the left and right, as well as up and down, and the pilot announced that there was a malfunction. The pilot informed him to bail out of the airplane, which he did. The airplane crashed inverted in a heavily wooded area, and the passenger was unharmed. Following recovery of the airplane, inspection of the elevator and rudder flight controls by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Inspection of the aileron flight control system revealed that wooden aileron secondary stop blocks were attached to the main spars; however, the shape was different than the stop block depicted in the builder's guide. Additionally, scrape marks associated with each aileron outer bellcrank were noted on structural support tubes inside both lower wings.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.