Accident Overview
On June 29, 2016, at 1900 eastern daylight time, an Evolution Aircraft Inc. Revo weight-shift aircraft, registration N20EV, impacted terrain while landing at Park Township Airport (HLM) in Holland, Michigan. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor received serious injuries, and a student pilot received minor injuries. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Twilight Aviation under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight, not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, which originated at 1800.
Flight History
According to the operator/student pilot, the purpose of the training flight was to receive instruction on straight and level flight. During the flight, the flight instructor demonstrated S-turns, after which the student pilot took the controls. As the aircraft approached HLM, the flight instructor resumed control. He flew a left-hand traffic pattern and, from about 700 feet above ground level, initiated an approach to landing on runway 23. After touchdown, the engine "seemed to go to full throttle." The aircraft lifted "slightly"—about 10 feet above the runway—but ceased to climb. It drifted right over a grass area on the right side of the runway. The aircraft still did not climb and began a "mild oscillation." The student pilot reported they were "rapidly running out of runway," and the aircraft hit the ground "very hard," ending on its side.
The student pilot stated that earlier in the flight, he had asked about the trim position, and the flight instructor indicated it was in the "fast" position. After recovery, the trim was observed in the fast position.
Examination and Findings
The student pilot stated there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the aircraft. A post-accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector confirmed the trim position was in the fast setting and that flight control continuity was maintained.
Aircraft Trim System Information
According to the Evolution Aircraft Inc. Aircraft Operating Instruction and Flight Training Supplement (Rev 7.0), the electric in-flight speed trim allows the pilot to adjust the wing speed via a momentary switch, shifting the hang block fore and aft on the keel. The system relieves the pilot from holding the control bar but cannot override pilot input. The supplement notes that takeoff with full fast trim requires more forward pressure on the control bar, and landing with full slow trim requires more pulling pressure. The trim setting is a checklist item for descent and landing phases.
No probable cause was determined from the available information.