Sopwith TYPE 9400 N5539

Summary

On 3 July 2020 at about 15:00 local time, a Sopwith TYPE 9400 registered N5539 was involved in an accident near Van Alstyne, Texas, United States. 2 people were 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

3 July 2020 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Van Alstyne, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Baylie (66XS)

Coordinates

33.4105, -96.5706

Aircraft

Sopwith TYPE 9400

Registration

N5539

Category

Airplane

Year built

2019

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20LA259

1 person had minor injuries.

An inflight loss of aileron control due to movement of a control connector.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a test flight the pilot moved the control stick fully to the right to roll out of a turn, but the airplane did not respond, and the pilot suspected a failure in the aileron controls. The airplane eventually rolled wings level and the pilot elected to perform an emergency landing to a corn field, during which the airplane hit a tree and descended into the field. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged during impact. The pilot, who was also the builder of the airplane, examined the wreckage and determined that a rocking tube that connected the front cockpit control stick to the rear control stick had moved rearward about 1 inch. The aileron cables connected to a horn affixed to this tube. The rearward movement of the rocking tube was sufficient for the front part of the tube to come loose from its socket, which likely affected the control authority of the ailerons and resulted in the pilot’s inability to control the airplane. The pilot explained that there was nothing in the original design that prevented the rocking tube from sliding aft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.