Remos REMOS GX N9GX

Summary

On 25 January 2009 at about 12:45 local time, a Remos REMOS GX registered N9GX, operated by Remos Aircraft Inc., was involved in an accident near Sebring, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 January 2009 at 12:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Sebring, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Sebring Regional Airport (SEF)

Coordinates

27.4539, -81.3444

Aircraft

Remos REMOS GX

Registration

N9GX

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Remos Aircraft Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sebring → Sebring

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09FA141

1 person died.

The pilot's inadequate preflight assembly and inspection which resulted in the pushrod connection to the left aileron not being connected, which led to a subsequent inflight loss of control and impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a two airplane aerial photography flight at an airshow, after takeoff the lead airplane was observed to roll to the right, with both the left and right ailerons drooping trailing edge down. The airplane descended while turning, and reached a bank angle of about 80 degrees and impacted right wing tip first on a parking apron. The airplane skidded around to the right, slid across the apron and came to rest next to a taxiway. The pilot was seriously injured, the photographer in the right seat was fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged during the impact sequence. The airplane was manufactured with folding wings. Examination revealed that the roll control system had not been properly connected prior to takeoff. On the day before the accident, the pilot and the national service manager for the airplane manufacturer had been demonstrating the wing folding mechanism for prospective customers. On the morning of the accident flight, the national service manager and the pilot of the accident airplane pulled both of the airplanes that were to be used for the aerial photography flight out from under the display tent. Both airplanes had their left wings in the folded position. When they pulled the accident airplane out from under the display tent, the national service manager was at the left wing root. He inserted the left wing's main wing securing bolt, installed the securing pin, and then went over to the other airplane to preflight it. He did not however, connect the pushrod connection for the left aileron before going over to the other airplane, nor did he advise the pilot that the "coupling was not connected". The pilot, who was at the left wingtip when he and the national service manager were unfolding the left wing, thought that he saw the national service manager go inside the airplane, and assumed he was connecting the aileron. Review of the Pilot Operating Handbook revealed that after connecting the wings to the fuselage, "the pushrod connection of the ailerons MUST be established," a check for "free and full travel of all control surfaces" was required, and that a placard was located in the plane in view of the pilot which advised that as part of the "START-CHECKLIST", the flight controls were required to be "Checked".

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.