Glover RV-8 N50FG

Summary

On 4 July 2001 at about 16:15 local time, a Glover RV-8 registered N50FG was involved in an accident near Mineral Wells, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 July 2001 at 16:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Mineral Wells, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Mineral Wells (MWL)

Coordinates

32.7817, -98.0603

Aircraft

Glover RV-8

Registration

N50FG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mineral Wells → Granbury

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW01LA159

Nobody was injured.

the jammed elevator control stick on takeoff roll. A contributory factor was the crosswind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the takeoff roll, the pilot was unable to move the control stick back to the neutral "takeoff" position. After realizing the control was jammed forward, the pilot closed the throttle and attempted to maintain directional control with the brakes. The pilot was not able to free the elevator control stick. The pilot felt that he did not have sufficient runway to stop the airplane on the departure runway; therefore, he turned the airplane to the left onto another runway. Approximately 2/3 of the way through the turn, the "west wind lifted the left wing and the right wing struck the ground." The airplane rotated back to the right coming to rest on the approach end of the runway. Fire was immediately noticed, the pilot opened the canopy, and the airplane was evacuated. The airplane was consumed by fire. The pilot stated that the "control stick grip lodged behind [the] instrument panel on takeoff." The pilot recommended a "more secure attachment of [the] control stick grip and redesigned travel of [the] control stick so that [the] stick will not travel under instrument panel." The weather observation facility reported the wind from 260 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 15 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.