Kit Planes Are Twice AS Likely to Crash

[Guest pecram air]

I was driving home from Bathurst last night when a story came on the Macquarie news that the ATSB has determined that light kit planes are twice as likely to crash than those produced by a manufacturer. The story went on to say that the ATSB will be investigating the safety of kit and homebuilt aircraft. Looks like turbulents ahead.

 

 

[Guest brentc]

What that will have been about is this report that was released in the last couple of days.

 

http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2006/AAIR/aair200601688.aspx

 

I read the full report last night. It is indeed true, however the crash rate is coming down quite rapidly and will soon align with Certified Aircraft.

 

One of the factors that's inflating the statistics is the likes of the Lancair type aircraft and other high-performance aircraft. As a result CASA, ATSB and the SAAA are working with owners, operators and builders of "slick" singles to see that they are more qualified in the operation of and emergency handling of high-performance aircraft.

 

There have been 7 Lancair crashes in similar circumstances relating to fuel problems and loss of control due to loss of engine.

 

Personally I wouldn't be worried, unless I owned a Lancair. If I did, I'd be really careful in it I guess.

 

The crash aircraft had fuel system modifications which may not have helped, however the pilot was very qualified to fly it so it's a real tragedy.

 

 

[Captain]

I read the full report last night too Brent, but should have been in the shed, and I agree with your summary except that most of the accidents in the Appendix looked to be due to the behaviour of (early??) Lancairs at low speed or the stall .... with wing drop and rapid vertical speed from a level stall. Let alone what they must quickly do if stalled while banked, where many/most/all of the listed accidents appeared to originate .... one even looked to be a flat spin from 6000 ft in a turbine powered machine?.

 

But the ATSB initial examination of Kit Built Vs Factory Built accident rates looks like it is confined to the GA register. Is that the way you read it?

 

If I'm right then these figures include you .... but not the RAA aircraft.

 

I wonder what the comparison would be for Kit Vs Factory accident rates in the RAA?

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[Guest brentc]

Good question Captain. My first thought would be to say that the Kits weren't as safe, but that being said I can think of many factory built U/L's that have come to grief over time. I'd be interested to see it in writing and I'd say it's definitely something to consider when purchasing a new aircraft.

 

Some of the Lancair's were modified, especially the turbine one that crashed in Vic. Crickey though, 1,500ft to recover from a basic stall leaves you absolutely no room for error on many occasions! I imagine Glasair's would be in the same category. These two kits in particular lend themselves well to adding massive horsepower and getting amazing cruise speeds, not something you can do in a Jab. A Glassair will cruise from 140 knots with a small engine to 250 knots with a large one!

 

It appears to be General Aviation based and technically that does include me, but I don't think you'd categorise the J400 as a 'slick single!'

 

 

[Captain]

G'day BC. As a matter of coincidence for about the past 10 years I have been trying to buy a partly built unflown Lancair that is in a shed in the Sutherland Shire. (G'day Graham if you end up looking around this thread).

 

I have always craved one and when discussing it with the owner/partial-builder in the late 90's it was well known that the early ones would misbehave when slow or near stall and could easily get ahead of inexperienced (or experienced) pilots. The one I want has had a series of mods/updates supplied from the factory to give the tail end more authority but I think there are heaps of further updates that would be needed to get it up to the latest designs .... which seem to be a great improvement but you apparently still have to fly them well, constantly and make sure you are ahead in the game.

 

I reckon they are a horny bit of gear and I still have the below pics in my locket.

 

Regards Geoff

 

(Craves/lusts after Lancair ... owns J230 that is not yet complete ... is he kidding himself ... probably)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest brentc]

Well I came close about 3 years ago before the J400 to purchasing a Lancair that was in the hangar at Hoxton Park. The owner was elderly and was having much trouble in flying it was he felt it was too 'pitchy.' Cruise was 160 knots and he wanted $80k for it with only 65 hours on the clock. With 20/20 hindsight I wish I had bought it, but I didn't have a spare $80k at the time.

 

They are a nice machine. There's a 4 seater pressurised one at Lilydale with something like 300 horsepower, very nice. He rarely gets out due to the runway condition. These machines are 90 knots+ over the fence. Most years at Narromine a 4 place Turbine variant usually rocks up from Perth.