Hendrix TALON XP N6291X

Summary

On 2 May 1997 at about 22:15 local time, a Hendrix TALON XP registered N6291X was involved in an accident near Redmond, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 May 1997 at 22:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Redmond, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

44.2600, -121.2196

Aircraft

Hendrix TALON XP

Registration

N6291X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sisters → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA97LA096

1 person had minor injuries.

incomplete installation (omission of the aft control stick and interlink tube) of the flight control system, resulting in failure of the combined (torque) elevator and aileron rod and a disconnection of the forward flight control stick from the ailerons and elevators.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The owner/builder (pilot) of the kitplane had accrued approximately 70 hours of operating time on the aircraft. During a flight, he began to lose aileron control. Shortly after entering downwind for landing, all aileron and elevator control were lost, and the pilot actuated the aircraft's ballistic parachute. Postcrash examination revealed that the pilot had installed only the forward flight control stick and torque tube, and had not installed either the rear flight control stick nor the interlink tube. This absence resulted in a structurally weakened control system and subsequent disconnect of the forward flight control stick from the torque tube in torsional overload. There was no caution note within the kitplane assembly instructions advising the builder that failure to install either the aft control stick and/or interlink tube would result in a compromise of the structural integrity of the fore and aft stick, torque tube and interlink tube assembly.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.