Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Albertus Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Freeport, Illinois 61032
Friday, August 26, 2011 12:52 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that the airplane would not climb after takeoff, and it stalled, impacted the field, and then nosed over. Postaccident examination revealed that the forward elevator push rod was bent. The bend did not appear to have occurred during impact. Further examination revealed that the up elevator travel was 15 degrees. Manufacturer specifications called for 27 degrees of up elevator travel. Marks on the aft elevator push rod indicated that a plier’s tool had been improperly used on the push rod, which left marks from the tool and a dent in the push rod. A shipment for the pilot/owner arrived at the airport after the accident that contained a new elevator push rod. The shipping label indicated that the package was shipped on the day of the accident. Based on this evidence, it is likely that the up elevator travel was limited and that the pilot was aware of this defect prior to the accident flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's decision to operate the airplane with a known defect in the elevator control system that led to his inability to control the airplane during the initial climb.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/26/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1252 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Freeport |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 61032 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 421405N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0893524W |
| Event Location Airport | Albertus Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FEP |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 859 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1255 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KFEP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 859 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3200 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | SAUS70 KWBC 261600 KFEP 261555Z AUTO 20006KT 10SM |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 30941 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-AGL-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2013 9:00AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7070L |
| NTSB Number | CEN11LA605 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | WSK PZL MIELEC |
| Aircraft Model | M-18 DROMADER |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1Z009-09 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 20 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 8635 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | David S. Sheppard |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAKE FOREST |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60045-4401 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | David S. Sheppard |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | LAKE FOREST |
| Operator State | IL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 60045-4401 |
| Operator Code | HNEG |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| 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) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | FEP |
| Departure City | Freeport |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1250 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | FEP |
| Destination City | Freeport |
| Destination State | IL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 23 2013 10:41AM |
| User who most recently changed record | brajo |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 24 |
| Runway Length | 5504 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |