Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Palm Springs Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Palm Springs, California 92262
Sunday, November 15, 1992 13:43 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT OF THE UNREGISTERED AND UNLICENSED EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT REQUESTED A HIGH SPEED TAXI TEST FROM THE ATCT CONTROLLERS WITH AN OPTION TO TAKEOFF FOR CLOSED TRAFFIC. WITNESSES SAID THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AFTER ABOUT A 150 FOOT GROUND ROLL AND ENTERED A STEEP CLIMB. THE PILOT THEN REPORTED TO ATCT THAT 'I'VE JUST LOST A RUDDER PEDAL.' THE AIRCRAFT THEN FELL OFF ON A WING AND ENTERED A STEEP NOSE DOWN SPIN OR SPIRAL TO GROUND IMPACT. EARLIER IN THE DAY A AIRLINE PILOT WHO ALSO HOLDS AN A & P MECHANIC'S CERTIFICATE TALKED TO THE PILOT AND LOOKED OVER THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT TOLD THE WITNESS THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT FLOWN IN TWO OR THREE YEARS. THE WITNESS SAID HE SAW MANY DISCREPANCIES ON THE AIRCRAFT AS HE WATCHED THE PILOT WORK ON THE RUDDER CABLES IN THE REAR SEAT AREA. SOME ITEMS NOTED BY THE WITNESS WERE: 1) RUDDER CABLES NOT ROUTED CORRECTLY ON THE PULLEYS IN THE COCKPIT AREA, 2) REAR COCKPIT RIGHT RUDDER PEDAL WAS COLLAPSED ON THE FLOOR, AND 3) RUDDER CABLES CONNECTED TO THE WINGLET RUDDERS WITH BUNGEE CORDS WHICH WERE TIED TOGETHER. THE WITNESS SAID HE RECOMMENDED TO THE PILOT THAT IT NOT BE FLOWN. FAA INSPECTORS EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AND REPORTED THAT CONTROL SYSTEM CONTINUITY COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED DUE TO COCKPIT IMPACT DAMAGE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL FOR REASONS RELATED TO THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION AND FUNCTIONING OF THE RUDDER CONTROL SYSTEM, AND, THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO A STALL SPIN.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/15/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1343 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | PALM SPRINGS |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92262 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | PALM SPRINGS MUNI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PSP |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 462 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1343 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 1 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PSP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 462 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 15000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1300 |
| 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) | 754 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 15 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1343 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 48165 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | NONE |
| NTSB Number | LAX93LA041 |
| 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 | LITCHFORD |
| Aircraft Model | FALCON XP |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | FALCON XP |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 600188 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | Not Registered |
| 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 | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | WAYNE R. LITCHFORD |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1787 LINBROOK DRIVE |
| Operator City | SAN DIEGO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 92111 |
| 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 | PSP |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1342 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | PSP |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 13 |
| Runway Length | 8500 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |