Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Durand, Michigan 48429
Monday, September 11, 2006 10:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The experimental amateur-built airplane sustained substantial damage when a wing spar failed during cruise. The pilot executed a forced landing to a nearby field. The airplane had accumulated 40.6 hours of flight time. The pilot's accident report, in part, stated, "When the aircraft reached 135 MPH indicated and was at that airspeed for a minute or two in calm stable air it suddenly developed an aileron flutter. Both ailerons fluttered. ... [The passenger] noticed the flutter before [the pilot] because the stick did not shake. The flutter started at the trailing edge of the wing and progressively got worse. Wing tips traveled 4 to 5 [inches] up [and] down. [The pilot] saw the right wing fail in an up position. The flutter stopped at approx 120 MPH. The nearest airport was 8.5 miles away. That was too far away. [The pilot] elected to land in a farmer's field straight ahead before we experienced further wing failure." An on-scene examination revealed that the aileron hinge brackets were not attached to the ailerons as depicted in the kit drawings for the airplane. This airplane kit's aileron hinge brackets were not pre-drilled by the kit manufacturer. Subsequent to the accident, the kit manufacturer issued a service bulletin (SB). That SB, in part, stated, "As of January 2004, Parts L370 R & L are delivered to customer pre-drilled for bolt holes as per attached drawing. Compliance method: Customers who have received the above parts un-drilled should note that the center to center distances of the bolt holes are critical. Particularly those which are for the bolts holding the assembly to the aileron spars. The attached drawing dimensions must be respected."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The kit builder's improper installation of the aileron bracket leading to the aileron flutter during cruise that resulted in the wing spars' failure.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/11/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1015 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Durand |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 48429 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 953 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 60 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FNT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 782 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 9500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KFNT 111353Z 08008KT 10SM OVC095 12/08 A3029 IC |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 21430 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 11 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 29 2007 12:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Detroit, MI, FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2627J |
| NTSB Number | CHI06LA260 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Endless Skies Aviation Inc. |
| Aircraft Model | L164 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | CA004-90 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 40.6 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Kenneth Meines |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6952 SR 270 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Pullman |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99163 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | OZW |
| Departure City | HOWELL |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BIS |
| Destination City | BISMARCK |
| Destination State | ND |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 19 2007 3:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |