What's confusing to me is the witness statement that he was "low and
slow on downwind". Getting slow and low on final is somewhat
understandable, esepcially if he was attempting to do a short field
landing, but getting low on downwind seems a bit strange. Is it
possible that his static port was malfunctioning, giving an incorrect
altitude and airspeed?
--- Bob Jacobsen <jacobsenra@hotmail.com> wrote:
> <jacobsenra@hotmail.com>
>
>
> I have additional information on Cliff & Betty's Oshkosh accident.
> First is
> the NTSB's preliminay report - this can also be found on the NTSB
> website.
>
> Also the NTSB has spoken with Mike and a pilot we know who was an
> eyewitness. Additionally I test flew Cliff's plane for him, knew him
> well
> and knew what kind of pilot he was. My hope is this information will
>
> prevent another accident of this type.
>
> First the NTSB Report:
>
> NTSB Identification: CHI06FA196
> 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
> Accident occurred Sunday, July 23, 2006 in Oshkosh, WI
> Aircraft: Shaw Europa XS, registration: N229WC
> Injuries: 2 Fatal.
>
> This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain
> errors.
> Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has
> been
> completed.
>
> On July 23, 2006, at 0845 central dylight time, a Shaw Europa XS,
> N229WC,
> collided with the runway following a loss of control while on final
> approach
> to runway 27 (6,178 feet by 150 feet, dry asphalt) at the Wittman
> Regional
> Airport (OSH), Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The private pilot and passenger
> were
> fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The 14 Code of Federal
> Regulations Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual
> meteorological
> conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from the
> Portage
> Municipal Airport (C47), Portage, Wisconsin, at approximately 0815.
>
> The airplane was landing at OSH for the EAA AirVenture fly-in.
> Witness
> reported seeing the airplane "low and slow" on downwind to runway 27.
> One
> witness, a certified flight instructor, stated the airplane remained
> slow as
> it overshot final approach. The witnesses reported seeing the
> airplane stall
> on final approach. The airplane impacted the runway on the displaced
> threshold.
>
> Now information about Cliff's plane.
>
> I test flew the plane for the first time on 6/29/03 - Flight lasted
> about a
> half hour. I did some slow flight to get airspeed readings but did
> not
> fully stall the airplane. I felt that it would drop a wing - so I
> was very
> careful to keep everything centered. About a week later John Hurst
> was
> flying the plane with Cliff to try to iron out an engine problem.
> They
> stalled the plane and it flipped inverted instantly. We added some
> stall
> strips and got it's behavior a bit better - but it was a always a
> nasty
> stalling airplane.
>
> final. I am sure he pulled a hard turn to final while slow. I can
> also
> guess he was a bit cross controlled and the plane stalled. snapped
> inverted
> and went into a spin. I am told the plane impacted nose down and
> inverted.
> I am also told it had spun "a couple of times".
>
> The Europa is a great design however it does have a very powerful and
>
> sensitive elevator (thats why is so fun). Additionally the rudder is
>
> powerful - but must be used correctly. Cross controlling and
> accelerated
> stalling any airplane is a problem, the Europa is even more so than
> some and
> probably easier to do with the powerful controls.
>
>
> Here is waht the FAA pilots flying handbook says about this:
>
> According to the FAA publication Airplane Flying Handbook, section on
>
> accelerated stalls and cross control stalls, ...Stalls which result
> from
> abrupt maneuvers tend to be more rapid, or severe, than the
> unaccelerated
> stalls, and because they occur at higher-than-normal airspeeds, they
> may be
> unexpected by an inexperienced pilot. Failure to take immediate steps
> toward
> recovery when an accelerated stall occurs may result in a complete
> loss of
> flight control, notably, power-on spins... a cross control stall...is
> most
> apt to occur during a poorly planned and executed base-to-final
> approach
> turn...the airplane often stalls with little warning. The nose may
> pitch
> down, the inside wing may suddenly drop and the airplane may continue
> to
> roll to an inverted position...It is imperative that this type of
> stall not
> occur during an actual approach to a landing since recovery may be
> impossible prior to ground contact due to the low altitude...."
>
>
>
> Bob Jacobsen
>
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