Luttenbacher Kurt BUSHBY MUSTANG 2 N58RS

Summary

On 12 May 2012 at about 15:00 local time, a Luttenbacher Kurt BUSHBY MUSTANG 2 registered N58RS, operated by Schick Thomas Paul, was involved in an accident near Kingstree, South Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one 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

12 May 2012 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Kingstree, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Williamsburg Regional Airport (CKI)

Coordinates

33.7169, -79.8542

Aircraft

Luttenbacher Kurt BUSHBY MUSTANG 2

Registration

N58RS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Schick Thomas Paul

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kingstree → Kingstree

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12CA333

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during the approach to landing, which resulted in a collision with terrain short of the runway. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, the accident flight was to familiarize himself with the recently purchased airplane. He conducted a few high-speed taxi runs before taking off to practice in the traffic pattern. After takeoff, the pilot turned downwind and set the airplane up for a full-stop landing. While on final approach, about 50 feet above a tree line, the airplane’s right wing dropped downward. The pilot attempted to level the wings but lost control, and the airplane collided with the ground short of the runway. Postaccident examination revealed that both wings were separated from the airplane and the fuselage was fragmented. According to the pilot, there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he had 1 hour of total flight experience in the accident make and model airplane. In a 2012 safety study on "The Safety of Experimental Amateur-Built Aircraft," the NTSB concluded that "purchasers of used [experimental amateur-built] (E-AB) aircraft face particular challenges in transitioning to the unfamiliar E-AB aircraft. Like builders of new E-AB aircraft, they must learn to manage the unique handling characteristics of their aircraft and learn the systems, structure, and equipment, but without the firsthand knowledge afforded to the builder." Thus, the NTSB recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration and the Experimental Aircraft Association "complete planned action to create a coalition of kit manufacturers, type clubs, and pilot and owner groups and (1) develop transition training resources and (2) identify and apply incentives to encourage both builders of experimental amateur-built aircraft and purchasers of used experimental amateur-built aircraft to complete the training that is developed."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.