Grant County International Airport: Moses Lake, Washington

Airport is located 5 miles north west of Moses Lake.

The pilot was on a local, personal flight in an experimental airplane. While in cruise flight approximately 600 feet above ground level he heard a loud bang and the airplane entered a right turn. The pilot used aileron to counteract the turn; however, the airplane descended into the reservoir below. Post accident inspection showed that the rivets securing the rudder pedals had sheared in overload and there was no evidence of corrosion. During the impact sequence, the fuselage sustained structural damage. According to the kit supplier, the rudder pedal horns are secured using three rivets per pedal. The kit supplier indicated that the rivets could be put under excessive stress while operating the airplane over gross weight and/or powering the airplane with an engine that produces over 65 horsepower. The engine installed in the airframe produced 85 horsepower. As a result of the accident, the kit supplier suggested that the builders include a rudder pedal
security check and if they are loose, replace two of the three rivets with two bolts. All future designs kits produced and shipped will include the bolts.
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The flight instructor said that after completing a series of maneuvers in the local practice area, he had the student pilot enter the traffic pattern for runway 16. The student pilot was to execute a low approach above the runway and then go around. During the low approach as the airplane passed midfield, the right wing of the airplane began to lift up, and the airplane veered to the left of the runway. The student added full power. The flight instructor announced to the student pilot that he was taking control of the airplane. Despite the flight instructor’s attempts to level the wings and gain air speed to begin a climb, the left wing of the airplane impacted a stationary unoccupied airplane. The flight instructor added that in subsequent discussions with the student pilot, the student pilot informed him that he did not hear the flight instructor announce that he was taking control and never relinquished control of the airplane. The flight instructor
stated that "at full power," the engine noise was "high enough to make communication impossible." Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the left and right wings were structurally damaged. The inspector reported that flight control continuity was established throughout the airplane to all primary flight controls. The reported wind at the time of the accident was 250 degrees for 8 knots, which equates to a right crosswind component of 8 knots.
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The pilot was completing a local flight and entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern at the destination airport. As the airplane was on the downwind leg and almost abeam the runway identifier numbers, the engine power reduced and the nose pitched up about 15 degrees. The airplane made a tight turn onto the base leg and then overshot final approach. The airplane was high and appeared to be configured in a slip (right wing low) while approaching the runway. When reaching about 30 feet above ground level (agl), the airplane pitched nose high, as if the pilot was attempting to flare. The engine power slowly increased and the airplane turned about 45 degrees, barely clearing a hangar and power lines. The airplane made numerous erratic maneuvers while varying altitudes between 45 and 300 feet agl. It then pitched up about 65 degrees nose high and made a left bank. It subsequently stalled and continued in a spin about 360 degrees before impacting a field located adjacent to the runway. A post accident examination revealed that the vertical fin had separated from the fuselage attach points and remained attached to the airplane only by the horizontal tail plane struts, the elevator control push rods, and the rudder cables. Examination revealed that the vertical fin attach tubes (forward and aft) had not been secured to the fuselage attach tubing. The bolts designed to secure the vertical fin to the fuselage were not attached; rather, the bolts were secured to the fuselage tubing and the undrilled vertical fin attach tubing was resting on top of the bolts. The build manual for the airplane states that during assembly, the builder must remove the bolts secured to the fuselage attach tubing and insert the vertical fin attach tubing. Following insertion the builder is instructed to drill the vertical fin tubing and secure the bolt through both pieces of tubing.