Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Freeman Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Seymour, Indiana 47274
Monday, June 23, 2008 8:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The accident occurred during the second flight since manufacture/certification. The experimental amateur built airplane was a reproduction of a WWI British fighter that was in production 1916-1918. On the first flight, the pilot noted that forward stick pressure was needed to maintain level flight. The pilot/builder subsequently adjusted the horizontal stabilizer to increase the nose-down flight characteristics. On the second flight, the pilot stated that the takeoff was normal, but the airplane had a lower rate-of-climb and airspeed than the first flight. Upon reaching 2,000 feet, the pilot reduced engine power and noted having normal stick pressure to maintain a level flight attitude, but a 10 mph drop in airspeed and 100 feet per minute descent rate. The airspeed and altitude continued to decrease as he turned to the left. An increase in engine power did not result in an increase in airspeed or reduction of the descent rate. The pilot stated that the airplane continued to lose airspeed and altitude until about 30-40 feet about ground level when the right wing dropped and the airplane impacted terrain. The original airplane design incorporated an engine installation with a zero degree engine thrust angle. The accident airplane incorporated a different engine that resulted in a 12-degree engine thrust angle. The pilot/builder was unaware of the thrust angle differences until after the accident flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot/builder's failure to manufacture the airplane with an appropriate engine thrust angle. Contributing to the accident was the pilot/builder's adjustment of the horizontal stabilizer which rendered the airplane uncontrollable.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/23/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 830 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Seymour |
| Event State | INDIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 47274 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 385529N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0855430W |
| Event Location Airport | Freeman Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SER |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 583 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 850 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BAK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 656 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 21 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.98 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24086 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 26 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 28 2008 3:01PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Federal Aviation Administration, Indianapolis FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N93725 |
| NTSB Number | CHI08CA168 |
| 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 | Wolseley Motors, Inc. |
| Aircraft Model | SE5-A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0852 T |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1865 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 2 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Phillip E. Krueger |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 8662 Houston Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Freetown |
| Aircraft Owner State | IN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 47235 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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) | Flight Test |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | SER |
| Departure City | Seymour |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 815 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | SER |
| Destination City | Seymour |
| Destination State | IN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 11 2008 3:06PM |
| User who most recently changed record | DINC |
| 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 | -- |