My own crash

[ctspain]

Hi to everyone.

 

I sadly crashed my CTSW last friday and of course I am really really sad and feel silly about it.

 

I would like to ask for help here asking about different points about how to reppair.

 

I Imagine you want to know what happened.

 

Just went to the hangar to have a look and a friend told that day was perfect to fly (he didnt do). Crosswind but not too much, no problem about that.

Take off and climbing wind was not normal, just after 100 or 150 feet, wind was different. Doing approach to land again, wind was totally opposite to ground.

 

On final, I was tailwind but looking the windsock, there wind was opposite. Arrived faster than usual, about 120Km/h, Too much glide but still enough runway. touched but little jumps, breaking hard but not enough went out the runway. I though, ok lets see, I will go to planted fied but when I was nearly entering I saw a big ditch, front wheel stuck there and I flipped over. I was totally fine, no problem, but felt really bad and really silly. Checking the wheel marks, it seems crosswind lift one side a little and left wheel lost contact then the plane didnt break as spected.

 

I would like to have the forum expert knowledge about some aspects to know if it is possible to repair and the best way.

 

I damaged the propeller (already contact kaspar to quote the 3 blades) they are not totally broked but damaged.

Totally bent the front wheel leg. 

1 side of the front rim (I have an spare)

front wheel fairing totally destroyed.

Up and down cowling .

As front wheel was so bent, engine mount was also bent there.

direction bars that go to front wheel bent.

Rudder impacted to floor when flipped and also is dammaged.

Wings have some small holes due to stones on the floor when flipped.

Finally, the windshield was broken when recovering the plane due to pressure when lifting it.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks.

 

 

[2FlyAgain]

Good to hear that you are OK!  I will leave the mechanical matters for those more knowledgeable than myself...

[FastEddieB]

Glad you're OK. Kudos to Flight Design for building such a strong "cage" to protect the occupants. In a lot of planes flipping over can be quite hazardous to one's health!

 

Is insurance going to be involved with the repairs? I suppose Flight Design's financial situation may make getting replacement parts problematical, but I don't know that for sure.

[Anticept]

Sorry buddy, your plane is probably done.

 

The place to look is at the wing root. If there is cracking in the spar, the wings are toast and that's a significant cost. Combined with likely firewall damage and tail damage, it's going to cost much more to repair than to part out.

 

Flipping, even when it seems minor, kills airplanes. The spars just can't take it. They pretty much always break.

 

Good news is parts shipment from Taiwan are flowing. I got some plastic bearings (special order) I needed in 2-3 weeks.

[ctspain]

Glad you're OK. Kudos to Flight Design for building such a strong "cage" to protect the occupants. In a lot of planes flipping over can be quite hazardous to one's health!

 

Is insurance going to be involved with the repairs? I suppose Flight Design's financial situation may make getting replacement parts problematical, but I don't know that for sure.

Cockpit was totally perfect, even doors opened and closed perfectly when upside down, now also open and close perfect, thats true, it is hard and safe.

I sincerely recommend my solution for seatbelts, they hold me totally in place, hanging from them and my head didnt touch anything.

[ctspain]

Sorry buddy, your plane is probably done.

 

The place to look is at the wing root. If there is cracking in the spar, the wings are toast and that's a significant cost. Combined with likely firewall damage and tail damage, it's going to cost much more to repair than to part out.

 

Flipping, even when it seems minor, kills airplanes. The spars just can't take it. They pretty much always break.

 

Good news is parts shipment from Taiwan are flowing. I got some plastic bearings (special order) I needed in 2-3 weeks.

I checked wing roots and spares, need to do again really really carefully but after removing wings, I could not find any crack or sign on spares, "just" the holes made by stones that I think (need to check better) even dont broke bottom part of carbon fiber sandwich. 

[ctspain]

this is one of the wings, the other one, seems better than this one.

 

[ctspain]

Firewall also looks fine. No cracks found them. I send a picture to know if more expert eyes can see anything.

Thanks.

[Anticept]

Look very closely at the wing root, where the spar meets the wing bulkhead. Also, look inside the tank at the spar, and if you have a mirror, look through the aft hole too at the spar. Any cracks in those areas is bad bad bad.

 

Now, check the wing pins. Those might be repairable if cracks are found. Also, check the corresponding holes in the fuselage for those pins; those ARE repairable if cracks are found.

 

One of those holes hit the spar on the wing. Not good, but that's pretty far out there and relatively minor, so you might be lucky; any damage might just call for reinforcement if it's minor. One also may have hit around the fuel tank, there might be some damage there but it's not structural like the spar is.

 

The firewall damage that you need to look for is near where those bolts go through to the other side near the rudder pedals. The cluster of 4 at the bottom of the mount is prone to cracking from damage like this.

 

What does the tail look like?

[ctspain]

Look very closely at the wing root, where the spar meets the wing bulkhead. Also, look inside the tank at the spar, and if you have a mirror, look through the aft hole too at the spar. Any cracks in those areas is bad bad bad.

 

Now, check the wing pins. Those might be repairable if cracks are found. Also, check the corresponding holes in the fuselage for those pins; those ARE repairable if cracks are found.

 

One of those holes hit the spar on the wing. Not good, but that's pretty far out there and relatively minor, so you might be lucky; any damage might just call for reinforcement if it's minor. One also may have hit around the fuel tank, there might be some damage there but it's not structural like the spar is.

 

The firewall damage that you need to look for is near where those bolts go through to the other side near the rudder pedals. The cluster of 4 at the bottom of the mount is prone to cracking from damage like this.

 

What does the tail look like?

Thanks, your comments are highly appreciated.

 

You are right, there is a hole very near the spar but yesterday I digged a little and it didnt affect to spar. even I can see it but not affected.

I had a look with a mirror inside fuel tank and nothing looks to be damaged, I will take our the fuel port to see there and I will use my endoscope to check much better than with the mirror.

Fuselage dont have any hole or damage.

 

About firewall I looked the 6 bolts that hold the engine frame and could not see any damage, crack or problem. I will try to send a closer picture.

 

About tail, I send 2 pictures, rudder is quite damaged in the top part, fuselage has some damage but I think can be repaired.

[ctspain]

sorry, this is the tail picture

 

[Anticept]

That must have been the gentlest flip over ever.

[ctspain]

the bad luck is that there was a big dig where front wheel stuck. If it wasnt, nearly nothing had happen. The good luck is that seems I put the wheel in and all the plane flipped like pivoting. Eventhoug damage is considerable.

[FlyingMonkey]

That is a lot of composite repair.  And the windshield is going to cost you too -- IIRC one of the other users that had to get one replaced due to birdstrike spent about $10k USD.  The windshield is structural and requires a lot of fairing back into the composite around the edges.  I think a new engine mount alone is close to $3000 USD as well.

 

Good luck, I hope it works out for you.  But the CTs are deceptively expensive to repair sometimes, so be prepared for either a large bill, or if you carry insurance for them to possibly write the airplane off.  As Corey said, as overturns go that one looks pretty mild.  Glad you made it out with nothing hurt but pride.

[ralarcon]

"I think a new engine mount alone is close to $3000 USD as well."

 

More like $10,000 USD. I replaced mine when I got my aircraft.

 

Cheers

[gbigs]

Anticept is giving you solid advise.  You really should not be doing these inspections yourself but have an A&P with Flight Design CT expertise inspect.  If you miss anything big it can cost you a lot of money and your life.

[ctspain]

"I think a new engine mount alone is close to $3000 USD as well."

 

More like $10,000 USD. I replaced mine when I got my aircraft.

 

Cheers

wow, 10000USD for the windshield, 10000 for the engine mount... with something more, I can buy a new one. Prop blades are expensive but nothing compared with that, 500 EUR each, total 1500 eur. also need to add wheel fork and cownlings... we will see

 

I am contacting composite experts to check things one by one. 

[ralarcon]

wow, 10000USD for the windshield, 10000 for the engine mount... with something more, I can buy a new one. Prop blades are expensive but nothing compared with that, 500 EUR each, total 1500 eur. also need to add wheel fork and cownlings... we will see

 

I am contacting composite experts to check things one by one. 

I wish you good luck. Remember safety is paramount.

 

Cheers

[ctspain]

I wish you good luck. Remember safety is paramount.

 

Cheers

Of course, If I can not be sure it is safe, I will not go ahead with that.

[Anticept]

It's only the wing spar near the wing root that I know FD will refuse to provide repair instructions for. I think Doug G pointed that out once.

 

Flight design once had a CT in with a broken tail. They make a new tail and stuck it on. FDUSA told me that one.

[Tom Baker]

There was somebody in Colorado who closed a hangar door on the tail of a CTLS when they were new. I think that is the one that got a whole new rear fuselage.

[ctspain]

Yesterday I inspected carefully the spars where the wing root is and no sign of damage there, of course an expert person will come to see it and confirm.

I want to take the gps and see the speed I was running when flipped over but I guess les than 30Km/h, even 20 (need to confirm)

 

About windshield, someone said it is structural, are you sure? I am pretty sure it is methacrylate, not the hardest material (polycarbonate is much more resistant but easy to scratch) Can anybody confirm anything about it?

[ctspain]

Step by step, checking different points. About rudder, after talking to 4 carbon / Kevlar specialized people, they all say it is easy to repair and not so much damage as I thought. So I will send it to repair to their workshop. 1 thing "solved".

[frfly172]

Also depends on the insurance. You carry. The insurance company is not your friend,they will always take the easy way out.

[ctspain]

No insurance for the plane in this case. I will pay everything.