History of Flight
On January 14, 2020, about 1600 eastern standard time, an experimental amateur-built Velocity Elite RG, N78BM, was substantially damaged during a rejected takeoff at Albert Whitted Airport (SPG) in St. Petersburg, Florida. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The flight was destined for Orlando Executive Airport (ORL), Orlando, Florida, after the pilot and passengers had flown to SPG for lunch earlier in the day. According to the pilot, a normal preflight inspection was completed, and the engine run-up showed no anomalies. The pilot declined a request from the air traffic controller to use the D2 intersection for departure, opting instead to use the D1 intersection to maximize available runway length for takeoff. Cleared for takeoff on runway 7, the pilot held the brakes, increased engine power, and released the brakes. The initial takeoff roll was normal, but the pilot then noticed a sudden lack of acceleration, with indicated airspeed not increasing past 60 knots. He aborted the takeoff, brought the power to idle, and applied maximum braking. The airplane remained on the runway centerline but departed the end of the runway and came to rest on a rock embankment just short of Tampa Bay.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a four-passenger canard of composite construction, equipped with retractable tricycle landing gear, a swept wing with wingtip rudders, and a 205-horsepower Franklin 6A-350-C1R air-cooled six-cylinder engine mounted in a pusher configuration. It drove a 3-blade in-flight adjustable pitch Ivoprop Magnum propeller. The airplane received its special airworthiness certificate in 1998. The most recent condition inspection was completed on June 22, 2019, at which time the airplane and engine had accrued about 443 total hours of operation. Originally registered as N104MW, it was sold to the owner/operator on February 20, 2018, and assigned the special registration number N78BM on June 4, 2018.
Meteorological and Airport Information
The recorded weather at SPG at 1505 included wind from 260° at 9 knots, 10 miles visibility, few clouds at 2,800 feet above ground level, temperature 26°C, dew point 21°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.18 inches of mercury. Crosswind component calculations indicated that the airplane would have been subject to about a 9-knot tailwind during the takeoff roll. Runway 7 was asphalt, in excellent condition, and measured 3,677 feet long and 75 feet wide.
Wreckage and Impact Examination
Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the nose structure and canard. The engine showed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the electrically-controlled variable pitch propeller system revealed that the propeller control switches were found in positions that could affect pitch change. The first switch, with positions “MANUAL” and “AUTO,” was found in the “MANUAL” position. The second switch, with positions “CLIMB” and “CRUISE,” was found in a neutral position.
Further examination revealed that the gaps between the three propeller blades were not sealed with silicone as required by the propeller manufacturer’s written guidance. Corrosion was present on the propeller slip rings, supercams, and spool. The propeller would not change pitch when the switch lever was operated, despite electrical continuity from the battery to the carbon brushes. The spool indicated that the propeller was not in the fine pitch, high rpm position used for takeoff. The planetary gearbox contained very little lubricant, and the lubricant present was sticky. The electric motor powering the propeller pitch mechanism operated intermittently when power was applied directly to its leads. The motor’s carbon brushes were worn to the point that the metal brush housings contacted the commutator. Internal examination revealed a broken end on one of the armature coil windings.
Propeller System Maintenance History
Review of maintenance records showed that between May 28, 1998, and October 16, 2017, the airplane builder performed regular and preventive maintenance on the propeller system, including replacement of motor brushes, gear motor, and other components. No entries for such maintenance were recorded after October 16, 2017. Propeller manufacturer records indicated that the pilot sent a propeller assembly for repair around July 18, 2019, and purchased new blades, a repaired core, and a new gear motor. Additional orders for parts, including another gear motor on January 10, 2020, were recorded, but no corresponding installation entries were found in the maintenance records.
The propeller manufacturer’s guidance for operation stated: “Run the prop W.O.T on the ground and adjust pitch to your maximum [horsepower] rpm.” It also cautioned: “Assume that In-flight pitch adjustment can quit on you anytime in which case the pitch stays where it is.” After the accident, the manufacturer added continued airworthiness instructions, including preflight pitch cycling, annual lubrication and brush checks, and 500-hour/5-year gear motor inspections.
Probable Cause
No probable cause was stated in the source.