The Kansas CW | Plane Crashed Because it Couldn't Stop Spinning
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By Kim Hynes (BUTLER COUNTY, Kan.)
UPDATE:
Cessna will move forward with Skycatcher despite two accidents during its testing phase.
"The need for a modern, cost-effective two-seat trainer aircraft has never been greater, and we believe we are well positioned to meet that need," said Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack J. Pelton. "The SkyCatcher program is an important part of our strategy," he added.
A release from Cessna explains the most recent incident: "the aircraft was undergoing a very aggressive spin test regime - power on and cross-controlled - when it entered a spin that was not immediately recoverable. This spin test was one of more than 500 flown to date using various combinations of center-of-gravity positions, power settings, flap settings and control inputs. The pilot deployed the airframe parachute in accordance with the flight test procedure and emerged from the aircraft unhurt after it touched down."
In September another Skycathcer test plane crashed during another spin test. The pilot parachuted to safety.
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A Cessna Skycatcher crashed in Butler County last week because of a problem with the spin system. The National Transportation Safety Board released the preliminary accident report.
The pilot was conducting a spin test on the experimental plane. During the test, the plane entered what the accident report calls a rapid and disorienting spin.
The pilot turned on the spin recovery controls but the plane continued spinning. Since it wasn't responding to the system, the pilot deployed the plane's parachute. He then tried to leave the plane in a personal parachute but realized he was too close to the ground.
The pilot stayed with the plane and landed it in a field north of El Dorado. The report says once on the ground, he tried to disengage the parachute.' But the wind picked it up and drug the airplane into a fence causing it to flip over. He was not injured in the crash.
Cessna is in final flight testing of the Skycatcher, a two seater training plane. The company planned to put the plane on the market later this year. Last week, a spokesman said they would review the accident report to determine if any changes need to be made.
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March 19, 2009
The FAA is investigating a plane crash in Butler County. An experimental Cessna plane went down about ten miles north of El Dorado Thursday morning.
Map of Approximate Landing Site
The 162 Skycatcher was out on a test flight. During the flight, the pilot deployed the parachute and the plane when down in a field. The plane hit some fencing and flipped over. The pilot was not injured. He went to the hospital as a precaution.
Cessna says it doesn't know why the plane went down. It doesn't expect to know for several weeks.
Thursday's crash was the second accident involving the Skycatcher. In September, the same model crashed in Butler County near Douglas. The pilot wasn't injured in the crash. Cessna says it still doesn't have an exact cause for that crash.
Cessna says it has about one thousand orders for the Skycatcher. It's supposed to be released sometime this year. The spokesman says once the accident report is finished, Cessna will use the information to determine if changes need to be made to the plane.
Expect updates on kwch.com, Twitter and on Eyewitness Newscasts.
