Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Clarksburg/Benedum Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Clarksburg, West Virginia 26301
Monday, April 4, 1994 10:40 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AIRPLANE HAD JUST TAKEN OFF AND WAS IN ITS INITIAL CLIMB WHEN CONTROL WAS LOST. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN IN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. THE PILOT STATED, 'AFTER A GOOD PRE-FLIGHT THE TOWER CLEARED ME TO DEPART...IMMEDIATELY ON LIFT OFF, THE AIRCRAFT JUMPED TO THE RIGHT. THERE WAS DEFINITELY A CONTROL PROBLEM BUT I HAVE NOT PINPOINTED WHERE.' THE FAA INSPECTOR'S POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THE BOLT CONNECTING THE TWO RODS IN THE AILERON PUSH/PULL ROD ASSEMBLY WAS MISSING. THE BOLT HOLES IN BOTH RODS SHOWED NO DEFORMATION. ADDITIONALLY, THIS BOLT WAS CONNECTED WITH THE JAM NUT FOUND LOOSE DURING THE CONFORMITY INSPECTION. THE AIRPLANE HAD A TOTAL OF 4 HOURS. A CONFORMITY INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED BY AN FAA DESIGNATED AIRWORTHINESS REPRESENTATIVE (DAR) ON NOVEMBER 29, 1993. THE DAR'S CONFORMITY INSPECTION REPORT STATED 'JAM NUT LOOSE ON AILERON CONTROL IN OVERHEAD.' THE REPORT REVEALED THAT THE CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN WAS THAT THE BOLT WAS 'TIGHTENED.' THE KIT MANUFACTURER SPECIFIES THE USE OF A SELF LOCKING NUT, HOWEVER, THE PILOT USED A JAM NUT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The builder's inadequate maintenance adjustment which resulted in the aileron control assembly becoming disconnected.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/4/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1040 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | CLARKSBURG |
| Event State | WEST VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 26301 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | CLARKSBURG/BENEDUM |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CKB |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1203 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by briefer |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1039 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CKB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1204 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 3 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2058 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 4 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1130 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 10:59AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N73ST |
| NTSB Number | BFO94LA060 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | TALAGO |
| Aircraft Model | THUNDERGULL JT2 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | THUNDERGUL |
| Aircraft Serial Number | ST3503 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1200 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 29 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 8 |
| Airframe Hours | 8 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TALAGO, STANLEY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | ROUTE 1, BOX 182 |
| Aircraft Owner City | FLEMINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | WV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 26347 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | STANLEY TALAGO |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | RR 1, BOX 182 |
| Operator City | FLEMINGTON |
| Operator State | WV |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 26347 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | CKB |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent - uncontrolled |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 5918 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |