Jacobs Rutan Vari Viggen accident near Urbana, IL
On June 16, 2002, a Jacobs Rutan Vari Viggen (airplane) was involved in an accident near Urbana, IL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 16, 2002
- Place
- Urbana, IL
- Aircraft
- Jacobs Rutan Vari Viggen · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.100°N, 88.201°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020617X00903
Official records · CHI02LA166
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 16, 2002, at 1030 central daylight time, an amateur-built Jacobs Rutan Vari Viggen, N915D, piloted by a commercial pilot was destroyed following impact with terrain on initial climb from runway 27 (4,000 feet by 57 feet, concrete), at the Frasca Field Airport (C16), Urbana, Illinois. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was en route to the Andy Barnhart Memorial Airport (3OH0), Carlisle, Ohio. A witness, who was familiar with the pilot and the airplane, observed the accident event from takeoff roll until it impacted the terrain. She reported that the takeoff roll was unusually long, noting that the airplane did not become airborne until approximately 300 feet from the end of the 4,000 foot runway. She reported that once airborne, the airplane's wings were "rocking and rolling" like the airplane was encountering turbulence, but not to the point of being out of control. The witness reported that she heard the pilot transmit that he was having trouble climbing. The witness reported the airplane started a slow, nose high turn to the right, and gained about 200 - 250 feet of altitude in the crosswind turn. She reported the airplane looked like it was in "slow motion" and that the "delta wing just kind of hung there." Approximately 7 - 8 seconds after initiating the turn, the airplane appeared to roll and the nose dropped to the right and impacted the terrain no
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to abort the takeoff. Additional factors included the partial loss of engine power due to an excessively rich mixture as a result of a bad accelerator pump housing seal, and the pilot failed to maintain control of the airplane.
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Browse: Illinois
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
