McClellan J Grote DRAGONFLY N5275U

Summary

On 22 February 1985 at about 15:51 local time, a McClellan J Grote DRAGONFLY registered N5275U, operated by McClellan J. Grote, was involved in an accident near Morrisville, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

22 February 1985 at 15:51

Classification

Accident

Location

Morrisville, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Raleigh/Durham (RDU)

Coordinates

35.8303, -78.8309

Aircraft

McClellan J Grote DRAGONFLY

Registration

N5275U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

McClellan J. Grote

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL85FMG01

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE OWNER/BUILDER HAD PREPARED THE ACFT FOR ITS 1ST FLT. THIS PREPARATION INCLUDED HIGH SPEED TAXI TESTS, A BRAKE LINE REPAIR & ENG ADJUSTMENTS. TWO 17.6 LB BARBELL WEIGHTS WERE TIED TO THE WING LIFT BULKHEAD WITH 5/16 INCH HEMP ROPE FOR PURPOSES OF WEIGHT & BALANCE. A DECISION WAS MADE FOR THE OWNER'S FATHER, AN EXPERIENCED PLT, TO FLY THE INITIAL TEST FLT. THE PLT MADE A HIGH SPEED RUN WITH AN OPTION TO TAKEOFF & ABORTED WHEN THE ENG DEVELOPED A MISS. HE THEN PERFORMED A SATISFACTORY RUN-UP & TOOK OFF ON THE NEXT ATTEMPT. AFTER TAKING OFF, THE PLT REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN & TURNED ONTO A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 23. THE ACFT THEN NOSED OVER & CRASHED IN A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT. AN EXAM OF THE FLT CONTROL SYS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION. ALL FRACTURES SHOWED EVIDENCE OF OVERLOAD FAILURE. THE BALLAST WEIGHTS WERE NOT SECURED IN ACCORDANCE WITH NORMAL AERONAUTICAL PRACTICES. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THEY COULD HAVE COME LOOSE & JAMMED THE FLT CONTROLS OR SHIFTED THE CG.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.