Dayton-Wright DH-4 N32517

Summary

On 2 May 2020 at about 12:00 local time, a Dayton-Wright DH-4 registered N32517, operated by Saving Liberty Dh4 Llc, was involved in an accident near Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 May 2020 at 12:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States

Nearest airport

Bowling Green-Warren County Rg (BWG)

Coordinates

36.9644, -86.4197

Aircraft

Dayton-Wright DH-4

Registration

N32517

Category

Airplane

Year built

1918

Engines

1

Operator

Saving Liberty Dh4 Llc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bowling Green → Bowling Green

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20CA168

Nobody was injured.

A primary control (aileron) system anomaly that progressively worsened during a test flight that resulted in a loss of control. The reason for the anomaly was not determined due to impact damage.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during the first flight test of the antique airplane, which was in the process of being restored, he had difficulty controlling the airplane in the roll axis. After takeoff, he noticed that the airplane required some right aileron to keep the wings level. After turning crosswind, the problem worsened, and required that he apply more pressure to the control stick (in the right aileron direction). As he turned downwind, he used nearly full right aileron to maintain control, and the force on the control stick was so high that he was unable to hold it with one hand. When he removed his left hand from the control stick to adjust the throttle, the airplane would roll toward the left. As the airplane approached the base leg, the pilot was unable to keep the wings level; the airplane entered a slip and he was unable to prevent the airplane from turning left. The airplane descended, touched down in the grass to the right of the runway, and came to rest nose down. Examination of the airplane revealed that the aileron control system was continuous. However, due to the airplane damage, the rigging of the aileron system could not be evaluated. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage, lower wing, and horizontal stabilizer.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.