History of Flight
On June 16, 2008, at approximately 1330 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Acroduster II SA750, registration N363J, crashed in a wooded area near Panama City, Florida, following a reported flight control malfunction during an aerobatic flight. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the certificated private pilot was killed. The passenger parachuted from the airplane and was not injured. The flight originated about 1245 from Panama City-Bay County International Airport (PFN) as a local personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
The passenger reported that the pilot performed a thorough preflight inspection. After takeoff, the flight proceeded to a practice area where aerobatic maneuvers were performed. Before the last maneuver, the pilot asked the passenger if he wanted to see a tail slide. The flight climbed to 3,500 feet, and the pilot initiated the maneuver. After falling for a few seconds, the pilot attempted to bring the airplane out of the maneuver, briefly bringing the nose to straight and level with full power. The airplane then began rolling left and right, and the pilot loudly announced problems with the airplane three times. The passenger stated the airplane seemed out of control, and the pilot told him to bail out. The passenger released his restraints, parachuted, landed in trees, and summoned help.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 31, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating issued February 4, 2000, and a second-class medical certificate with a limitation to wear corrective lenses issued October 2, 2006. He listed 900 hours total flight time on his last medical application. His father reported that approximately two weeks before the accident, his son told him he had passed 1,000 hours. Logbook excerpts showed about 16 hours in the last 30 days, with approximately 7 hours as pilot-in-command in the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat bi-wing airplane was manufactured by a private individual in 1980 as an Acroduster II SA750, serial number 363. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-360-A1B, 200-horsepower engine. A Special Airworthiness Certificate was issued on February 20, 1981, with operating limitations that initially prohibited aerobatic flight and passenger carrying. Later limitations dated August 21, 1995, allowed aerobatic flight after sufficient flight experience was gained, with maneuvers recorded in the aircraft logbook. The pilot's father purchased the airplane on July 17, 2000, with approximately 363 hours total time. A conditional inspection on March 15, 2008, recorded 838.2 hours total time; the airplane had been operated 20–25 hours since then.
An Internet posting dated December 29, 2002, by the accident pilot described a previous incident during a rolling tail-slide that resulted in a stiff aileron stick and a bent bellcrank. Following that event, new bellcranks were manufactured and installed. The pilot's father noted that wood aileron stop blocks were installed on the aft side of the main spar of both lower wings.
Wreckage and Examination
Examination by an FAA inspector revealed the airplane crashed inverted in a wooded area. Flight control continuity was confirmed for pitch and yaw; roll continuity could not be determined due to the remote location. Post-recovery examination of the aileron system showed continuity on lower wing ailerons but impact damage to upper wing aileron control tubes. The wooden aileron stops on each lower wing appeared smaller than depicted in a builder's guide. Postaccident photographs revealed parallel crush lines on the stop blocks consistent with contact from the aileron bellcranks, scrape damage to drag trusses, and both inboard aileron bellcranks slightly bent upward. The builder's guide included a note about using wood blocks on the front spar to limit shock loads during tail slides, but the installed stops were not consistent with the guide's design.