CHUALAR, CA, USA
N81D
PROGRESS AERO R&D DISCOVERY
THE EXPERIMENTAL COMPOSITE STRUCTURED ACFT WAS ON A TEST FLT. DRG A SLOW AIRSPEED TEST, IT ENTERED A FLAT SPIN FROM WHICH THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER BY USING NORMAL CONTROLS. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A BALLISTIC PARACHUTE. THE PLT DEPLOYED THE CHUTE & SHUT DOWN THE ENG. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN WITH A PARACHUTE DESCENT RATE OF ABOUT 1800 FT/MIN. DRG TOUCHDOWN, THE PLT SUFFERED NECK & BACK INJURIES. HE RPRTD THAT DRG THE FLT, ALL FLT CONTROL SURFACES RESPONDED NORMALLY TO HIS CONTROL INPUTS. THE AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS WHICH PRODUCED THE SPIN WERE NOT IDENTIFIED.
THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT'S INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO A NON-RECOVERABLE FLAT SPIN DURING A SLOW AIRSPEED TEST; THE AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS THAT PRODUCED THE SPIN WERE NOT DETERMINED.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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