I met a Federal accident investigator a number of years ago, and since I am building a "9A", he related to me a story of an RV accident he had worked on in California. The final "official" report is located here:
https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/R...ID=20050415X00465&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=LA
The most interesting thing about this accident that he related is what happened to the RV airframe after it went "beak to beak" with a large dump truck. He said as the pilot glided into a California DOT parking lot, it just cleared a hook and ladder fire truck, bounced once or twice and then had a head on collision with a parked dump truck. The deceleration loads were transmitted through the pilot's shoulder straps and to the aft longerons where they attach. That loading pulled the tail into itself until it couldn't crush together anymore; and since there was still energy to be shed the double row of rivets that secure the tail section to the front (at the back of the baggage area) were all sheared off! This then allowed the tail section to slide forward, and the pilot's head struck the instrument panel and was lacerated, but thankfully he survived. Hearing that story again affirmed for me, how crucial it is (in a forced landing), to ensure we maintain enough airspeed at touchdown to kill the descent, and then take our chances w/any ground objects we might encounter.
Doug Lomheim
RV-9A Mazda 13B/FWF
RV-3A sold
https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/R...ID=20050415X00465&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=LA
The most interesting thing about this accident that he related is what happened to the RV airframe after it went "beak to beak" with a large dump truck. He said as the pilot glided into a California DOT parking lot, it just cleared a hook and ladder fire truck, bounced once or twice and then had a head on collision with a parked dump truck. The deceleration loads were transmitted through the pilot's shoulder straps and to the aft longerons where they attach. That loading pulled the tail into itself until it couldn't crush together anymore; and since there was still energy to be shed the double row of rivets that secure the tail section to the front (at the back of the baggage area) were all sheared off! This then allowed the tail section to slide forward, and the pilot's head struck the instrument panel and was lacerated, but thankfully he survived. Hearing that story again affirmed for me, how crucial it is (in a forced landing), to ensure we maintain enough airspeed at touchdown to kill the descent, and then take our chances w/any ground objects we might encounter.
Doug Lomheim
RV-9A Mazda 13B/FWF
RV-3A sold
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