Mailing List lml@lancaironline.net Message #36372
From: Brent Regan <brent@regandesigns.com>
Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Re: Sterling Ainsworth accident
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2006 21:04:44 -0400
To: <lml>
Jeff,

I have a hard copy. The accident # is A05W0160. Let me know if you cant find it online and I'll scan my copy and send it to you.

TC concluded that the airframe ice caused an unrecoverable airframe stall. The data I recovered from the CFS IDU is not fully consistent with this conclusion as the "stall" was accompanied by only a 5 degree pitch down, increasing right bank and decreasing airspeed.  IMHO the data is more consistent with pitot ice followed by a loss of spatial awareness followed by a 1 G spiral dive. It only took 35 seconds from the start of the descent to when the aircraft speed reached Mach 0.62 (calculated) and disintegrated (flutter). Contributing factors were the poor layout of the instrument panel, the omission of a rotating mass (gyro) standby attitude indicator and the pilot's apparent failure to activate pitot heat.

Then, of course, I do not have the experience of the TC investigators so I will defer to their judgment.

Regarding the panel layout (shown below), I have rarely seen a poorer example. I seems that functionality was sacrificed for symmetry.

Scan? We don't need no stinkin' scan!

Regards
Brent Regan
Image
Ainsworth-LancairIVP.jpg
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