Rutan DEFIANT N17DR

Summary

On 12 July 2018 at about 14:42 local time, a Rutan DEFIANT registered N17DR was involved in an accident near Plainville, Connecticut, 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

12 July 2018 at 14:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Plainville, Connecticut, United States

Nearest airport

Robertson Airport (4B8)

Coordinates

41.6839, -72.8700

Aircraft

Rutan DEFIANT

Registration

N17DR

Category

Airplane

Year built

2004

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Plainville → Plainville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18FA189

1 person died.

The pilot's loss of airplane control during climb for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot, who was one of the builders of the twin-engine, experimental, amateur-built airplane, was conducting a local flight in the airport traffic pattern. A wing-mounted camera captured the ground operations and accident flight. After seemingly normal engine start and runup checks, the pilot departed to the north, remaining in the airport traffic pattern for a subsequent landing. While over the runway threshold on landing approach, he initiated a go-around. The airplane climbed left of the runway centerline, then entered a steep, descending left turn at varying angles of bank, some exceeding 60º. The airplane continued to descend in an erratic manner until it impacted the ground. An examination of the aircraft systems and engines revealed no evidence of a preimpact anomaly or failure. There was ample fuel on board for the flight. The forward engine wooden propeller showed evidence of rotational damage. Although the aft engine propeller was generally undamaged, the crash dynamics and the aft mounting of the propeller assembly likely shielded it from damage during impact. Although conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power, an electronic engine monitor showed no evidence of a loss of engine power, nor did a sound spectrum study of the wing-mounted camera audio. Autopsy and toxicology testing of the pilot revealed no evidence of physiological impairment or incapacitation, and the reason for the pilot's erratic and aggressive maneuvering after the go-around could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.