Aveko Sro VL-3 LSA N801GB

Summary

On 30 May 2010 at about 13:45 local time, a Aveko Sro VL-3 LSA registered N801GB, operated by Denco Remodeling Group Inc, was involved in an accident near Boyd, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 May 2010 at 13:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Boyd, Texas, United States

Coordinates

33.0805, -97.5602

Aircraft

Aveko Sro VL-3 LSA

Registration

N801GB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Denco Remodeling Group Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hicks Airfield → Hicks Airfield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN10FA277

2 people were seriously injured.

***This report was modified on November 15, 2012. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report with revisions shown.*** The pilots’ failure to avoid and recover from the prohibited maneuver of aerodynamic spin during a training flight, for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the failure of the ballistic parachute rocket as a result of the manufacturer’s use of an inadequate thread sealant glue on the end caps of the rocket. Contributing to the severity of the occupants’ injuries was the separation of their shoulder belt attachment brackets at impact.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

***This report was modified on November 15, 2012. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report with revisions shown.*** The flight instructor and student pilot departed on an instructional flight in preparation for the student’s check ride for a pilot certificate. A witness reported seeing the airplane “low and slow” and said that the engine was “sputtering.” He added that the airplane then entered a “flat spin” before disappearing into trees. The airplane wreckage was located in a stand of trees surrounded by rolling fields. Fuel was present on site. The airplane was equipped with a ballistic parachute, and the parachute’s activation handle was pulled from its stowed position, consistent with an attempted activation by the pilot; however, it had not deployed. Examination revealed that the rocket motor that should have deployed the parachute housing failed because the manufacturer used an inadequate thread sealant glue, which dried up and became inelastic when installed on an airplane and exposed to normal operating conditions (including vibration). The end cap of the rocket would unscrew. As a result, the accident airplane’s parachute did not deploy. Corrective measures were developed and issued as a result of this accident. Examination also showed that, although both occupants’ lap belts remained attached to the airframe their shoulder straps had separated at the adhesive joint where the shoulder strap attachment bracket fastened to the turtle deck. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The engine was started and was run on both the left and right ignition systems.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.