Experimental plane fatality in Ohio

[RiverCity]

A one-seater experimental plane crashed on take-off this evening (Thursday; Friday morning GMT) in Ohio killing the pilot. The plane had been checked by the FAA at some point in the very recent past.

I assume "experimental" airplanes are not plywood and bailing wire, but just a class of aircraft. Is that correct? Anyone enlighten me?

[RiverCity]

Initial report from the family's pastor was incorrect; the hospital told me he is in critical condition. They thought he had died at the scene but managed to keep him going.

[Basil]

'experimental plane' is, I believe, the category in which the FAA places homebuilts.

[RiverCity]

Plane was a single-seat, all-aluminum Hummelbird.

[RiverCity]

The pilot died this morning of massive internal injuries. "Broke about every bone in his body," one worker told me. His wife and mother tried to talk him out of flying that day; neither one knows why, but it just didn't feel right.

[hobie]

an example of the craft in question at this web add'y ......

http://www.eaa.org/homebuilders/list/Hummelbird_Garner.asp

hobie .....

[Fergus Kavanagh]

Experimental Category basically means it is not a certificated
aircraft.
In the U.K. it would operate on a Permit to Fly, rather than
a C of A.
Mostly it refers to homebuilt aircraft, whether kits or scratch-
built, and the word 'experimental is required to be displayed
clearly on the machine, but often isn't.

Cheers

Fergus.

[RiverCity]

hobie / Fergus...

Thanks for the link and the info. He was in bad shape when they got to him -- really beaten up. They finally let him go after a few hours when it was obvious that he could not last much longer. I'll find out more tomorrow, but it won't be anything to be posted here. You guys know what happens.

[Rich Lee]

River City

Follow this link to an FAA Publication entitled "Plane Sense". It provides an explanation of the various US FAA Airworthiness Certificates. The actual regulations are contained in CFAR Part 21 (21.191 Experimental Certificates). Most FAA regulations, advisory circulars and handbooks can be found at www.faa.gov .

http://www.awp.faa.gov/fsdo/docs/spm_info/how/plane_~1.pdf

Best Regards, Rich Lee

[RiverCity]

Thank you. It was the first flight for this airplane and, from what I read, the engine quit about 100' altitude. I think he went down in his parents' field in view of his children. Very sad event.

[RobAir13]

I heard NASA is considering re-categorizing the Space Shuttle into the "Experimental" category because it hasn't gone through the hundreds of test flights that conventional aircraft must endure.

Also, if you look closely at pics of the 777-300ER, you can see the word "Experimental" painted above the door, which was strange to me because I'm not accustomed to seeing this on such large aircraft. I see it on homebuilts all the time, however.

[Genghis the Engineer]

"Experimental" is a legal definition in the US which has no direct comparison in the UK or many other countries. Where something is labelled experimental it generally means that:-

- There has been no legal requirement for any kind of independent design review or comparison to an airworthiness standard (having said which the likes of Boeing clearly are incredibly thorough, homebuilders or amateur designers may not)

- The FAA (or their delegate such as an EAA technical counsellor) has carried out a single build quality inspection prior to first flight.

- Initial flying is limited to essential crew only and a fixed, largely unpopulated area.


As an approach it clearly gives great freedom, but at the amateur end, with designs not independently reviewed, no independent inspection during construction of parts that will later be concealed, and pilots who are not flight-test trained, the approach contributes to a greater accident rate than in other countries such as the UK.

Comparing to the system in most European countries, there are marked differences. Over here the aircraft could not normally fly indefinitely under an "Experimental" tag, must must eventually be shown safe and issued with a CofA or local lower standard such as the UK Permit to Fly.

Flight testing in Europe also has normally to be carried out by an "approved organisation", in the UK this usually means that they have "B-conditions" which is delegated flight test authority to work to a pre-agreed rulebook, generally using specific authorised test aircrew. (PFA don't work to B-conditions but to something very similar, BMAA do work to B-conditions as do all the UK aircraft manufacturers).

Of course, the fact that a single seater in this context has suffered a fatal accident may be irrelevant to the experimental status. The Hummel bird is a well established design. Having said that, if it was a first flight FAA publish some excellent guidance in AC90-89a, which sadly does sometimes get ignored - non FT-trained pilots performing first flights are arguably either brave or foolish, and many such first flights in the US are by relatively low-hour PPLs.


My deepest sympathies to all who knew the pilot.

G