Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lucerne, Colorado 80646
Thursday, May 6, 1993 17:50 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AIRPLANE REQUIRED CONSIDERABLE LEFT RUDDER IN MOST FLIGHT ATTITUDES, SO THE PILOT FABRICATED A PART TO INCREASE THE ANGLE ON INCIDENCE BY OFFSETTING THE LEADING EDGE OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. AFTER INSTALLING THE PART, HE TOOK OFF ON A TEST FLIGHT AND HIS PARTNER FOLLOWED IN A CHASE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO ENTER A SHALLOW DESCENT AND YAW SLIGHTLY ABOUT ITS VERTICAL AXIS, ALSO DESCRIBED AS SHALLOW DUTCH ROLLS. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD A PROBLEM AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE FABRICATED PART WAS NEVER FOUND. A SMALL HOLE HAD BEEN DRILLED THROUGH THE TUBE WHERE THE LEADING EDGE OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER ATTACHES, BUT NO HOLE HAD BEEN DRILLED THROUGH THE MATING TUBE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT A PIN HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SAFETIED THROUGH THIS HOLE. IF COULD NOT BE DETERMINED IF THE PILOT HAD INSERTED THE PIN PRIOR TO TAKING OFF. LOAD CARRYING BRACE WIRES BENEATH THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS WERE FOUND STRETCHED IN TENSION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT. A FACTOR WAS: THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/6/1993 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1750 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | LUCERNE |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80646 |
| Event Date Year | 1993 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1815 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 200 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GXY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4658 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 9000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 9000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 14 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 6315 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 638 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 6 1993 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1830 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 50235 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 1:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3201K |
| NTSB Number | DEN93FA054 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | WITTS & CHURCH |
| Aircraft Model | WORLOCH |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | WORLOCH |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 001 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 700 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 2 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WITTS, P. & CHURCH, L. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1725 S. AMMONS STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAKEWOOD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80232 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | WITTS, P. & CHURCH, L. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1725 S. AMMONS STREET |
| Operator City | LAKEWOOD |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 80232 |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GXY |
| Departure City | GREELEY |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1715 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | GXY |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |