I have heard that there are still doubts in the AAIB investigation
about whether the initial failure was the wing pin (with
consequential failure of the tail) or the other way around. Hence we
are being required to cover both hypotheses by mods and checks front
and back.
If it was indeed the wing pin which failed first - very big "if" -
then the implication is that the tail could/would have then failed
because it was subject to loads it had never been designed for
(perhaps a sudden pitch or roll or yaw?) , and not because there was
anything wrong with it - it would have been a consequential event,
not a causal one. You might also feel that if the wing pin had failed
then the aircraft may have been doomed whether or not the tail broke
up. If this is true then perhaps neither mod 73 nor Nigel's mod
would have saved the day.
A supporting thought to this hypothesis is that the build quality
around the wing pin on the crash aircraft is known to have been poor.
Also, the aircraft is known to have been returning from a Permit
inspection when the wings would have been removed and replaced.
Perhaps in refitting the wing, some damage was done to the already
compromised wing pin?
Just a thought.
Willie Harrison
On 14 Jul 2007, at 15:05, Carl Pattinson wrote:
> <carl@flyers.freeserve.co.uk>
>
> Im not sure your mod would have prevented Williams accident.
>
> I believe his kit would have been purchased in 1994 and was
> finished in 1995.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nigel Graham"
> <nigel_graham@btconnect.com>
> To: <europa-list@matronics.com>
> Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2007 1:59 PM
> Subject: RE: Europa-List: Europa Tailplane - Mod 73
>
>
>> <nigel_graham@btconnect.com>
>>
>> Hartstikke bedankt heren, tot u dienst.
>>
>> What really saddens me is that I wrote to Europa Aviation in the
>> late '90s
>> highlighting the potential problem with the tailplane and
>> proposing that the
>> tailplane mod be adopted as the standard build procedure. It would
>> have cost
>> nothing - no extra parts, just a change to build instructions the
>> manual.
>> In my mail to them, I even predicted a sequence of events that
>> could lead to
>> a tailplane becoming detached and the resulting in-flight break-up
>> of the
>> aircraft.
>> No interest was shown whatsoever and I never heard back from them.
>> When I learned of the in-flight break-up of William's plane, I had a
>> sickening feeling that I knew what might have happened. The full
>> AAIB report
>> will confirm (or otherwise) if I was correct but the fact that the
>> authorities are looking closely at this component leads me to
>> believe I'm on
>> the money.
>>
>> m.v.g.
>>
>> Nigel
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com
>> [mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com]On Behalf Of Jan de
>> Jong
>> Sent: 14 July 2007 12:46
>> To: europa-list@matronics.com
>> Subject: Re: Europa-List: Europa Tailplane - Mod 73
>>
>>
>> <jan.de.jong@xs4all.nl>
>>
>> I am glad to second that. Thank you very much indeed!
>> Regards,
>> Jan de Jong
>>
>> josok wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Nigel,
>>> It's a seldom opportonity to be able to thank the right person
>>> for a great
>> idea! So: Thanks, ever so happy that i don't have to worry about
>> loose
>> bushes!
>>> :-)
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Jos Okhuijsen
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Visit - www.EuropaOwners.org
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
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