Sino-Swearingen SJ30-2 accident near Loma Alta, TX
On April 26, 2003, a Sino-Swearingen SJ30-2 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Loma Alta, TX. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 26, 2003
- Place
- Loma Alta, TX
- Aircraft
- Sino-Swearingen SJ30-2 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 29.873°N, 100.961°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030515X00671
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 26, 2003, at 1005 central daylight time, a Sino-Swearingen Aircraft Corporation (SSAC) SJ30-2, N138BF, serial number 002, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Loma Alta, Texas. The certificated airline transport pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which departed on an instrument flight rules flight plan from San Antonio International Airport (SAT), San Antonio, Texas, at 0911. The local test flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. At the time of the accident, the airplane was undergoing flutter testing for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification. SSAC Report 30-2222, "Flight Flutter Certification Test Plan for SSAC SJ30-2," delineated the flutter testing requirements, which included the Federal Air Regulation (FAR) Part 23.629 requirement that the airplane be demonstrated to be free from flutter, control reversal, and divergence up to the "demonstrated flight diving speed" (Vdf/Mdf). The testing was to be conducted in two phases, with the first phase planned to clear the airplane to its "maximum operating limit speed" (Vmo/Mmo) of 320 KCAS/Mach 0.83, and the second phase, to clear it to its Vdf/Mdf of 372 KCAS/Mach 0.90. Phase 1 flutter testing had been successfully completed. The first flutter mission of phase 2, flight test number 230, was flown one day before the accident flight, with the same pilot onboard. The objective of that flight was to complete flutter test points 1-12 (Mach 0.844) and 1-13 (Mach 0.864). Test point 1-12 was completed, and subsequently, the airp
Probable cause
The manufacturer's incomplete high-Mach design research, which resulted in the airplane becoming unstable and diverging into a lateral upset.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
